MODERN PROCESSES FOR Cu & Al EXTRACTION

1. COPPER : a) Flash Smelting: Outokumpu Flash Smelting: Outokumpu flash smelting is a closed process which can achieve up to 99% capture of the sulphur-rich gases from the smelting furnace for the production of sulphuric acid. INCO Flash Smelting: The INCO flash smelting process uses technical oxygen (>96% purity) instead of air to roast, melt and partially convert in one autogenously operation.

b) Kivcet: The Kivcet process was developed in the former U.S.S.R. for
smelting complex copper concentrates containing lead, zinc and other impurities. Dried concentrate is introduced tangentially into a small watercooled cyclone where it is autogenously flash smelted with technical oxygen. The products pass into a partition chamber where they melt and off-gases are separated.

c) Mitsubishi Process: The process is a continuous, multi-step process which produces blister copper from concentrates in three interconnecting furnaces. Concentrate and oxygen-enriched air (30-35% O2) enter the smelting furnace through vertical lances and are smelted to produce a matte of 65% to 69% Cu and low-copper slag. Fuel must be burned to satisfy the heat balance in the smelter chamber. The high-grade matte flows to the electric slag cleaning furnace. From the slag cleaning furnace the matte flows to the converting furnace where it is oxidized to blister copper using enriched-oxygen (26-28% O2). Fuel must be burned in the converting furnace to maintain the heat balance. d) Queneau and Schuhmann Process (QS): The process is a conceptual process for continuous production of blister copper from concentrate in a single stage elongated kiln-shaped reactor. Engineering aspects of the reactor design will be difficult to overcome. The anticipated off gas strength would be 80% SO2. e) Isa Smelt/Ausmelt (Sirosmelt): The three processes, Isa Smelt and Ausmelt (Sirosmelt), are both closely related. The process was developed in the 1980's and based on pioneering work conducted at CSIRO in Australia. The process concept is based on a single vertical lance for oxidant and fuel injection. Wet filter cake or pelletized feed is directly fed to the vertical cylindrical smelting vessel.

f) Oxygen Sprinkle Smelting Process: This process is being developed on

a commercial basis at the Phelps Dodge Morenci smelter. Oxy-fuel and oxygen sprinkle burners are mounted in the roof of a conventional reverberatory furnace. The modification is to increase the smelting rate and increase the SO2 content of the off-gas.

2. ALUMINIUM: 1. ALCOA PROCESS: In the ALCOA process, the alumina produced by Bayer process is chlorinated under reducing conditions in the presence of carbon at 700-900oC to produce a mixture containing AlCl3, CO, and CO2. The reaction is Al2O3 + 2C + 3Cl2 (g) 2 AlCl3 (g) + CO (g) + CO2 (g) AlCl3 is separated from the reaction products by condensation, at about 70oC. Upon electrolysis by a direct current, liquid aluminium is formed at the cathode and gaseous chlorine liberated at the anode. The chlorine is recycled in order to chlorinate the fresh alumina. 2. TOTH PROCESS: A novel process has been proposed by TOTH for the extraction of aluminium. In this process, too, as in the ALCOA process, the aluminium from the Bayer process is converted to AlCl3 by chlorination in the presence of carbon. The AlCl3 thus formed is reduced to Al by treating it with manganese at a temperature of 300oC and a pressure of 15 atm. The reaction is 3Mn + 8AlCl3 (l) 3 ( MnCl2 . 2AlCl3 ) (l) + 2 Al 3. ALCAN PROCESS: In the ALCAN process, bauxite is first reduced to a typical aluminium alloy, one which contains 50 % Al, 30% Fe, 10 % Si, 5% Ti, and 5% C. The reduction is carried out in an electric arc furnace, at 2000oC, in the presence of coke. This alloy is next made to react with preheated AlCl3 vapour in a reactor. AlCl3 reacts with the aluminium in the alloy according to the reaction 2Al + AlCl3 3AlCl (forward reaction=1300oC and backward reaction=700oC)
BY:
Chaina Ram 091101121 MSME-6th sem