Optimum Feed Preparation for Sulfide Smelting

"For optimum smelting results, proper treatment of the feed is needed to ensure favourable conditions for ignition characteristics, heat balance, mass balance with tolerable impurity levels, and overall process economics. Feed preparation consists of physical treatments before drying (blending), chemical treatments before drying, (roasting, if required), drying itself and physical treatments after drying (fractioning, if required).Effects of fluctuation on mineralogy and moisture should be minimized by blending the concentrates in a bedding plant prior to drying. As an alternative to drying, additional treatments such as roasting for impurity removal may be needed for part of the concentrate.Sustainability, energy efficiency, utilization of waste energy, low gas and dust emissions, product quality, availability and occupational exposure reduction are decisive criteria in drying today. These criteria are best met by the Kumera steam dryer, which has the best energy efficiency, zero CO2 emission, lowest operational and maintenance expenses, and superior availability and product quality.IntroductionFeed preparation plays a crucial role in having a smooth smelting operation and also the overall smelting economics in metal production. Therefore, it is of significant importance for all copper, nickel and lead smelter operations in which sulphide concentrates are fed to the primary smelting furnace. Generally speaking, the higher the metal content in the matte after primary smelting, the more important the feed preparation. This is of particular importance in the direct blister (DB) process for copper production and direct oxygen nickel (DON) for nickel production.Bedding is the first stage in feed preparation. This is very important for the sake of smoothing the mineralogical fluctuation in the feed for better smelting control. Its importance increases as the number of concentrates available for the feed mix decreases."