Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing a feed mixture, made of several batch components, at one stage in order to feed it into a smelting furnace. The preparation of the batch may include the preheating and drying of the material, the removal of crystal waters and evaporable substances as well as the conduction of the batch into the smelting furnace. According to the invention, a hot inert gas is conducted through a downwards settling batch so that the gas is mixed into the batch as well as possible, but even partial fluidization is prevented. The apparatus of the invention comprises a pretreatment silo (6) which is uniform at the upper part but is divided into several sub-silos (7) at the lower part. At the lower part of the sub-silos there are connected ducts (8) wherealong the batch flows into the smelting furnace (9) located below the pretreatment silo (6).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing a feed mixture, made of several batch components, at one stage in order to feed it into a smelting furnace. The preparation of the batch may include the preheating and drying of the material, the removal of crystal waters and evaporable substances as well as the conduction of the batch into the smelting furnace. According to the invention, a hot inert gas is conducted through a downwards settling batch so that the gas is mixed into the batch as well as possible, but even partial fluidization is prevented. The apparatus of the invention comprises a pretreatment silo (6) which is uniform at the upper part is divided into several sub-silos (7) at the lower part. At the lower part of the sub-silos there are connected ducts (8) wherealong the batch flows into the smelting furnace (9) located below the pretreatment silo (6).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for arranging conveyor-transported fragmentary particles into one row or several adjacent rows of individual particles before their removal from the conveyor. According to the invention, the conveying base is divided into two subsequent sections, namely, a vibrating section and a subsequent stabilizing section. In the vibrating section the conveying base and the particles on top of it are brought into a relative motion while the particles are subjected to transversal counter-forces in order to concentrate the particles along a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the conveying base. In the stabilizing section the relative motion of the conveying base and the particles on top of it is stopped in good time before the removal of the particles from the conveyor, so that the particles no longer move in relation to each other when they are being removed from the conveyor. This substantially facilitates the analysis of the particles and their separation from each other.

Abstract: In order to reduce the amount of oxygen contained in molten copper, a gaseous hydrocarbon such as propane or butane is blasted into an anode furnace, and for creating an efficient mixture between the hydrocarbon and the molten substance, some inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is blasted into the molten mass simultaneously with the hydrocarbon.

Abstract: The purpose of the method is to remove chlorides and fluorides from a valuable metal raw material by leaching the raw material into sulphuric acid solution and by crystallizing the valuable metal sulphate selectively out of the solution. The valuable metal sulphate crystals are washed in sulphuric acid solution, and the recovered dechlorinated and defluorinated crystals are leached into water and conducted into electrolysis. The sulphuric acid solution employed in the raw material leaching and in the crystal washing is preferably the same as the return acid of the electrolysis. Chlorides and fluorides are removed from the mother liquor of crystallization in the bleed.

Abstract: According to the method of the invention, samples undergoing analysis for sorting are irradiated one by one in order to excite X-ray fluorescence. In order to take into account the background radiation, the quality whereof varies according to the frequency of the excited radiation, the radiation peak intensity I.sub.1 is measured, as well as the respective intensity I.sub.2 is measured at the same point of the radiation spectrum but in an essentially wider frequency range than the radiation peak. On the basis of the measured intensities I.sub.1 and I.sub.2 are defined the intensities of the X-ray fluorescence F and the background radiation T, and the ratio of these two is used as the selective criterion when sorting the analyzed samples.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing heat-resistant and/or fire-resistant fibre materials, when the employed initial material is molten slag from metal processes. According to the invention, the slag holding furnace (5) is used for achieving an essentially even and continuous molten flow from the slag smelting furnace (3) into the mineral wool furnace (6). The invention also relates to an apparatus for realizing the method, wherein the holding furnace (5) is provided with at least one control device (12) which shifts the furnace (5) between the different filling positions in order to ensure an even and continuous flow of molten material.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a way in which to conduct oxygen or a gas containing oxygen into a counterbubble reactor according to the invention, preferably into the upper part of the reactor, and at all events distinctly above the bottom of the reactor; to disperse the gas in a sludge with high solid content, and to impart to the sludge a flow first in the counterbubble zone of the reactor downward, reversing in the vicinity of the bottom, and in the ascending zone of the reactor upwards, and thereby to achieve rapid dissolving of the gas in the sludge and efficient reacting of oxygen and sludge at low energy cost.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating sulphide concentrates of sulphide ores in order to produce raw metal in one and the same process unit (1). According to the invention, the molten matte (5) received from suspension smelting is solidified (7) and, if necessary, crushed (8) and ground (9), whereafter the solid matte (5) is returned into the process unit (1) through the converting shaft (10) located therein. In the converting zone (15) the matte (5) is converted into raw metal (12) by means of a two-phase method. The exhaust gases both from the smelting zone (16) and from the converting zone (15) are discharged through a common uptake shaft (4). Moreover, the slags (6,11) from both zones can be discharged through the same tap hole (17), whereas the matte (5) and the raw metal (11) are advantageously removed from the process unit (1) each through a specific individual tap hole (18,19).

Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for the chlorinating volatilization of impurity metals detrimental to the production of iron from a raw material which contains the oxides of the impurity metals and iron or which forms them in an oxidizing atmosphere, in which the pulverous raw material is at a high temperature of 900.degree. C. or more and in an oxidizing atmosphere contacted with a magnesium chloride in order to chlorinate and volatilize the impurity metals. The preheated raw material and anhydrous magnesium chloride are fed into a fluidized bed on an inclined grate, hot air being fed into the bed through the grate in order to volatilize the chlorides of the impurity metals, and purified raw material is discharged from the lower section of the fluidized bed into a separate chamber, in which it is rinsed with an air flow the flow rate of which is substantially higher than that of the air flow fed into the fluidized bed.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a way to achieve in liquid-liquid extraction in the step of dispersing two different solution phases the transformation of the desired phase, which may also be the phase with smaller volume, to become the continuous phase, with the aid of a primarily vertical circulation flow. The invention also concerns an apparatus serving this purpose, a circulation dispersion contactor, in which the smooth circulation of the dispersion is accomplished by the aid of a radial pump turbine designed for this particular purpose, or of an axial propeller, and of distribution/guide rings on the periphery of the contactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flotation machine designed for floating minerals from sludges containing coarse particles. The flotation machine comprises a rotor (3) and a stator (2) provided with actuator machinery and auxiliary equipment (7, 8, 9). The bottom (14) of the stator (2) is solid and the stator-rotor mechanism is located within the cell apart from the cell bottom (10). The feed inlet pipe (12) is connected to the cell so that the feed is directed towards the mixing zone of the rotor flow.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for guiding the sample flow in an analyzer, especially in an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, in order to accomplish an essentially even flow front. Consistent with the invention, the burner (11) has been equipped with a flow divider (12) that due to its advantageously chosen construction and manufacturing material also works as a drop eliminator that removes the harmful drops, which are present in the sample spray.

Abstract: A method and device for clamping the electrode contact shoes (2) around the electrode (1) of an electric furnace, comprising one pressure element (3) which is advantageously hydraulically operated and uniform and which surrounds the electrode contact shoes and clamps them against the electrode (1) under the action of pressure on the pressure element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a repeating flotation machine for floating minerals from sludges. The repeating flotation machine comprises a flotation cell (1) and a repeat flotation cell (16) placed therein. Inside each cell there is placed a mixer apparatus composed of a stator-rotor combination (2, 3; 17, 18).

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention comprises at least two transmitter coils (3) and a respective number of receiver coils (4). The transmitter coils (3) and the respective receiver coils (4) are placed in a crosswise position with respect to each other so that the primary fields created by the transmitter coils (3) are divergent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating sulphide concentrates of sulphide ores in order to produce raw metal in one and the same process unit (1). According to the invention, the molten matte (5) received from suspension smelting is solidified (7) and, if necessary, crushed (8) and ground (9), whereafter the solid matte (5) is returned into the process unit (1) through the converting shaft (10) located therein. In the converting zone (15) the matte (5) is converted into raw metal (12) by means of a two-phase method. The exhaust gases both from the smelting zone (16) and from the converting zone (15) are discharged through a common uptake shaft (4). Moreover, the slags (6,11) from both zones can be discharged through the same tap hole (17), whereas the matte (5) and the raw metal (11) are advantageously removed from the process unit (1) each through a specific individual tap hole (18,19).

Abstract: A method for controlling and balancing the power consumption in an electric smelting or heating furnace, in which power is fed into the furnace via at least two electrodes and in which the tips of the electrodes are maintained at the same level above the melt or at the same distance from the furnace cover throughout the process sequence. Power is controlled by adjusting the voltage between the furnace electrodes, the electrotechnical quantities of the furnace varying freely throughout the process sequence. Any disequilibrium due to the electrode structure or to changes in the furnace conditions is balanced out by adjusting the moving of furnace electrodes, corresponding to the wear of the electrodes, by using the quantities measured in the furnace and the short-term and long-term variations calculated with the aid of these quantities, and the linear functions with relation to time of the variations.

Abstract: The invention concerns a way to prolong the service life of proportional counters, there being added to the gas mixture consisting of a rare gas and a hydrocarbon, serving as gas filling in the counters, hydrogen gas in the amount of 0.05-5.0% by weight, preferably 0.1-2.0% by weight. In addition, the hydrogen gas may in part at least be deuterium.

Abstract: The invention concerns a means for separating molten particles from the exhaust gases of metallurgical furnaces and for returning them to the furnace space (3). As taught by the invention, a molten dust cyclone has been provided substantially within the furnace space (3) or in its immediate vicinity, this cyclone comprising a vertical cylindrical chamber (4), a passage (8) leading from the furnace space (3) tangentially to chamber (4), an exit aperture (5) in the upper part of the chamber for removing the gas and a tap aperture (6) in the lower part of the chamber for returning to the furnace space (3) the solid and molten material that has separated from the gas.The invention furthermore concerns a way recover lead from the exhaust gases of a metallurgical furnace by regulating the oxygen partial pressure in the exhaust gases to be in the range of about 10.sup.-16 to 10.sup.-10 atmospheres at temperature 1250.degree.-1450.degree. K.