China Nonferrous Metallurgy

Complex arsenic-containing gold-copper concentrate is treated by pyrometallurgical technologies such as oxygen-enriched bottom-blowing smelting technology and oxygen-enriched side-blowing smelting technology which are more conductive to removal of impurities by oxidation due to a high oxygen potential of these two technologies. However, the oxygen-enriched bottom-blowing smelting technology has such shortcomings as large air leakage, high-content sulfur trioxide in off-gas and incapability of cooling subsequent off-gas directly by spraying water for arsenic recovery. This paper introduces a company s production practice of complex arsenic-containing gold-copper concentrate processed by oxygen-enriched side-blowing smelting technology from four aspects, namely composition of raw materials, process flow, main equipment and production operation. And the practice proves that the oxygen-enriched side-blowing smelting technology boasts technical advantages, including capability of handling gold-copper concentrate with a high arsenic content, high direct metal recovery rate and high-grade arsenic recovered from off-gas. Good production effects have been obtained after optimization and improvement of issues in the practice such as large slag output, short service life of the top of copper bath and slag bath, production of foaming slag and inadequate monitoring of furnace body expansion. This practice sets an example of complex arsenic-containing gold-copper concentrate processed by oxygen-enriched side-blowing smelting technology for the same industry.