A model of charge melting in the bath of an ore-thermal furnace

Abstract

In Russia, copper-nickel sulfide ores are processed mainly by pyrometallurgical methods. One of the most important processes in pyrometallurgical ore processing is ore smelting. At Pechenganickel, the smelting of sulfide copper-nickel ore is performed in ore-thermal six-electrode furnaces. Ore-thermal smelting has the significant advantage of being able to process virtually any type of metallurgical feedstock, but it also has disadvantages. The main disadvantages are leakage of the unit, as a result of which it is a source of large emissions of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, besides, ore-thermal furnaces are extremely complicated objects from the automation point of view. At present, a plan for the reconstruction of Pechenganickel's pyrometallurgical operations is being developed. One of the components of this plan is the transition to briquette smelting. To study the peculiarities of melting briquetted raw materials in ore-thermal furnaces, a dynamic model of charge melting in these units has been developed. The main results of computational experiments based on the developed model are given in the proposed article.