Sustainable Mining and Metallurgy

A copper smelting enterprise used a double lower tower oxygen-enriched cryogenic air separation process with one lower tower and one auxiliary tower to prepare oxygen with a concentration of 85%. This paper analyzed the process, compared it with pressure swing adsorption process and conventional pure oxygen air separation process, and put forward optimization measures for the problems existing in the operation of the process. Through the process comparison, it can be seen that there was no problem of pressure swing adsorption production declining year by year in the oxygen-enriched cryogenic air separation process. Compared with the conventional pure oxygen air separation process, it can save energy by 15%~20%. It had the advantages of high oxygen recovery rate, low investment cost and energy consumption, simple operation and maintenance, and stable operation. After continuous optimization, it would show greater advantages.