Thermochemistry Study for BHP Olympic Dam Copper Electric Slag Cleaning Furnace Optimization
摘要
Characterisation of thermochemistryThermochemistry of iron in blisterIron in blister and copper in slagCopper in slag in the copperCopper electric slag cleaning furnaceSlag Cleaning Furnace is important to improve copper slagCopper slag processingSlag processing in BHP Olympic DamOlympic Dam direct-to-blisterBlister processDirect-to-blister. Phase equilibriaPhase equilibria investigation in the “CuO0.5”–“FeO”–MgO–SiO2 system in equilibrium with copperCopper metalMetal was undertaken using a high-temperature equilibration, quenching, and electron probe microanalysisAnalysis (EPMAElectron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (EPMA)) technique integrated with thermodynamicThermodynamics modellingModelling using FactSageFactSage computer package. Experiments were conducted at conditions relevant to the industrial electric furnaceElectric furnace operationOperation, at 1300 °C and log (pO2) = −5, −6, −7, −8, −9, −10, and in equilibrium with ironIron metalMetal. The experimental results are used for optimizationOptimization of the thermodynamic databaseThermodynamic database of the system. Furthermore, an industrial electric furnaceElectric furnace slagSlag sample was collected and analysed systematically, including analysisAnalysis of macro and micro-features, phase identification and measurement, and FactSageFactSage prediction. The microanalysis of the electric furnaceElectric furnace slagSlag samples was compared to the currently available thermodynamic databaseThermodynamic database. Phase equilibriaPhase equilibria findings showed that copperCopper concentration in slagSlag and ironIron partitioning in blisterBlister are greatly influenced by oxygen partial pressure, and the thermodynamicThermodynamics modelModel agrees reasonably with the experimental results. Microanalysis of the industrial electric furnaceElectric furnace slagSlag sample suggested differences between the industrial slagSlag phases and chemical partitioning compared to the currently available thermodynamic databaseThermodynamic database. Differences are analysed, and possible causes are found to be non-equilibrium condition in furnaceFurnace related to kineticKinetics factors and analytical uncertainties in EPMAElectron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (EPMA).