How A Copper Smelter Application of the Mark III Bench Top MAGNASAT is used to Reduce Losses and Improve Converter Cycle Times.
RESULTS
BENEFITS
The MAGNASAT system has proved to be able to provide an accurate slag magnetite measurement in just a few minutes so that the correct flux addition can be made during operation of the converters. This has resulted in better converter control and quicker turnaround times. Several systems have been supplied to a number of copper smelters with resulting improvements to the determination of magnetite.
COPPER SMELTING APPLICATION
During the beneficiation of copper concentrate to anodes, one of the steps is to use air/oxygen to oxidize the process material to increase the copper concentration. Converter operation is a batching process during which air is blown through the matte for a certain time following which further matte is added together with additional silica to act as a fluxing agent to remove magnetite created during the blowing (oxidation) cycle. Correct silica addition is important because if too little silica is added (under fluxing) insufficient magnetite is removed resulting in a viscous slag; if too much silica is added (over fluxing) then the excess silica also results in a viscous slag. Both conditions can result in significant copper losses.
THE PROBLEM – EXISTING METHODOLOGY
One of the existing methods of assessing the oxidation state of the matte was to use a magnet to determine the magnetite content. This method tended to be subjective and hence inaccurate. A rapid method of determining the magnetite content was needed to improve converter operation. Laboratory analysis tends to be too slow to be of use to the operations personnel.
THE SOLUTION – How a Copper Smelter Application of the Mark III Bench Top MAGNASAT is used to reduce losses and improve converter cycle times
A field tool was required for use by the converter operators so that rapid analysis of the magnetite content of the slag could be determined. The Mark III Bench Top MAGNASAT system has been adapted to be able to measure the magnetite of converter slag
THE RESULT – MAGNASAT Sample Preparation and Operation
The requirement was to keep the sample preparation and analysis as simple as possible. The following sampling and analysis regime was adopted; a sample of slag is obtained by dipping a cold bar into the slag stream as it is skimmed off. This is then cooled and crushed. A flail mill is used to provide acceptable sample sizing. A measuring cylinder is then filled to overflowing with a sample of the slag and the top leveled off. The fixed sample volume is then transferred to a sample bottle and the sample presented to the Mark III MAGNASAT system for analysis.
MAGNASAT Mark III
MAGNASAT is a bench top system designed for the measurement of the magnetic properties of small samples of material. The system is easy to use and provides a result within a matter of seconds. Sample preparation typically requires crushing the sample to <2mm.
Find out more about the system here.
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