Abstract: An apparatus for leading off from a flotation cell tank in froth that is produced is composed of at least two launders (3) positioned inside the tank (1), their points of support being located close to the tank wall, and of a drain pipe (10) connected to the tubular lower part (9) of the launder.

Abstract: A certain amount of gas is directed under the liquid surface in a solution reactor, advantageously into the bottom of the reactor, for dispersing the gas into small bubbles and distributing it as evenly as possible over the entire cross-sectional area of the reactor. When the gas discharges and disperses from a flexible-structured member, the reaction force produced by the discharging gas imparts to the dispersing member a whip-like movement having a continuously decreasing radius of curvature. This movement produces strong mechanical mixing in the liquid. This is further enhanced by the strong gas jet discharging from the end of the dispersing member and changing its place randomly. Due to the resultant strong mixing, the solid in the reactor remains in motion and continuously maintains the good degree of suspension and does not accumulate in piles on the bottom of the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a tube belt conveyor in which a flat belt (1) is like a helically seamed tube at least over the length of its transporting part. Tubularity of the belt (1) has been achieved by winding the flat belt helically to be tubular about its longitudinal axis and by disposing the helically seamed tube between the bending drum (3) and traction drum (5) of the conveyor. The helical configuration is produced and maintained by the aid of roller sets (7 and 9). In the helically seamed tube belt it is possible, if desired, to make bends by means of bending roller sets (8). It is possible to transport material with the tube belt conveyor in different planes between the horizontal plane and the vertical plane.

Abstract: A process for the removal of impurities from sulphidic and metallized molten copper mattes, in which in preliminary smelting of the crude metal molten sulphide and molten arsenide-antimonide phases are produced, whereby (a) the molten arsenide-antimonide matte is treated with elemental sulphur vapor to produce molten sulphide and molten arsenide phases in equilibrium with each other, that after this the conjugate melt system is sulphurated continuously under reduced pressure in order to volatilize arsenic, antimony, bismuth, lead and tin, or (b) the conjugate molten phases in equilibrium with each other are separated from each other, the thus separated arsenide matte is sulphurated further in a solid state and advantageously using elemental sulphur vapor at high partial pressure in order to volatilize arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium and tellurium from the matte as sulphides, and the separated molten sulphide phase is sulphurated under reduced pressure to volatilize arsenic, antimony, bismuth, lead and ti

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the froth flotation of complex ores. In accordance with this invention, froth flotation is carried out by using a collector and froth flotation conditions for which it has been calculated in advance that the said mineral and the collector form stable surface compounds. The conditions include the electrochemical potential of the system, the concentration of the collector, the pH, and other physical factors. According to this invention it has been observed that by adjusting the potential and the concentration of the collector separately for each mineral, each mineral can be frothed out separately from the slurry, the process being in this case specific for the mineral. When so desired, the different minerals of the ore slurry can also be frothed simultaneously by selecting the conditions where the Pourfaix-type diagrams of all minerals in said complex ore overlap under the conditions in question.

Abstract: A method for directing a desired amount of gas below the liquid surface in a solution reactor, to mix the bubbles as effectively as possible with a suspension of a pulverous solid and a liquid, and to produce in the mixed gas-liquid-solid suspension a strong, suspension-maintaining flow field which is downward in the center of the reactor and upward along its sides, is disclosed. A so-called gls-mixer according to the invention consists of a circular plate fitted at the lower end of a rotating shaft suspended by its upper end, vertical dispersion blades situated radially at the edges of the circular plate, and baffles attached to the dispersion blades by means of arms. An upwardly directed gas-feeding conduit is fitted at the bottom of the reactor, and from this conduit the gas jet discharges to the center point of the circular plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to an immersible aerator and/or mixer apparatus to be lowered onto the bottom of a basin or tank containing liquid, often also solid substances, and particularly the invention relates to the supporting structures of the said apparatus as well as to the devices for protecting the motor and power transmission chambers of the said aerator and/or mixer apparatus from the liquid contained in the said vessel.

Abstract: The invention concerns a means for supporting the material being treated in continuous-action heat treatment furnaces. The support means consists of a cooled roller (5), on the periphery of which at least two cooled rollers (7) with substantially smaller diameter have been placed. The roller (5) is placed outside the furnaces (13, 16) and/or between two consecutive furnaces. Supporting of the material (18) is carried out by the aid of one roller (7) at a time, the roller (7) rotating at the speed of moving of the material. By the aid of the drive (3) provided for the roller (5), the mutual positioning of the rollers (7) can be changed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a waste heat boiler construction where the convection chamber (5) of the waste heat boiler is located on essentially lower level than the radiation chamber (2). In order to lower the end of the radiation chamber (2) gradually onto the level of the convection chamber (2), into the radiation chamber are placed walls (1) essentially in transversal direction to the gas flow, which walls at the same time divide the radiation chamber into separate sections. In order to profitably conduct the gas flow in the radiation chamber, the roof of the radiation chamber (2) is provided with panels (3) located in the gas flow direction, so that the gas flows from the previous section are divided roughly into two by means of the panels (3) of the following section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing blister copper, wherein the matte received from the smelter unit (1) is conducted in molten state into a converter reactor (3) located essentially adjacent to the smelter unit (1), and the molten matte is fed into the converter reactor (3) by means of oxidizing gas so that the molten matte is dispersed into tiny molten particles. In order to create advantageous circumstances for the method, the oxygen potential within the smelter unit (1) is maintained essentially lower than within the converter reactor (3).

Abstract: The residual acid mixture containing metals which has been produced in the steel pickling process is regenerated to become new HF/HNO.sub.3 pickling acid by applying H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 addition and evaporation. The metal sulphate salt produced in evaporation is converted into scarcely soluble iron jarosite Na[Fe.sub.3 (SO.sub.4).sub.2 (OH).sub.6 ] and chrome and nickel hydroxide, the last mentioned metal hydroxide being obtained as a separately utilizable precipitate.The metal sulphate salt is separated from 60% H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 solution, wherein the main part of the salt is also crystallized. For promoting the crystallization, part of the salt is crystallized in a side line where 80% H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 concentration is used. The acid slurry produced is carried back to the crystallizing stage in the main line.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for analyzing pieces of ore for the purpose of sorting. Each piece falling by the analyzer is irradiated individually by means of two gamma radiation sources operating at different energy levels so selected that, as to the scattering effect, at one level the Compton effect is predominant and at the other level the Compton effect and the photoelectric effect compete with each other. The former effect is strongly dependent on the ordinal number of the element and, thus, by detecting with at least one detector the scattering intensities produced with the said two sources of radiation and comparing the scattering intensities with each other, the proportion of heavy elements in the ore piece can be determined and the ore piece can be classified on the basis thereof. For example, one energy dispersively operating scintillation detector can be used for detecting the scattered radiation.

Abstract: The coating on the stator vanes in a flotation machine is subject to abrasive load caused by the air/suspension flow and acting on the top part of the vane facing the rotor. In prior art, the coating placed on the vane was stationarily joined, serving single use only. In the invention a detachable coating (6) has been developed, which is placed like a sock upon the stator vane (4) and secured in place with the aid of a cover member (8). This securing, or locking, is accomplished with the aid of a groove (7) machined in the stator vane and of tooth-like projections (9) provided on the cover member. A locally worn-out coating may be detached and either turned through 180.degree. or inverted and put back in its place.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a conveying apparatus especially to be used for charging a shaft furnace. The apparatus comprises a transferring device consisting of at least one carriage accommodating at least two skips with open tops. At the upper part of the skip there is, or can be attached a lifting handle. The skips are lifted to the emptying position by a lifting device including locking bars and a locking device. The locking bars are situated in relation to the pouring lip of the skip, on the opposite side of the transverse vertical plane bisecting the center of gravity, in order to tilt the skip around the locking bar.

Abstract: Electric furnace dome that is made especially of ceramic material and which has the necessary openings for at least electrodes and material feed, at which time the dome's center (2) inside of the tube systems (3) is cooled at least around the openings with the aid of spiral tube systems (5,7,8,9) whose tube systems (3,5,7,8,9) form a part of the dome's support system.

Abstract: A method for forming a directional and controlled suspension spray of a pulverous material and a reaction gas is intended for use in metallurgical processes and plants. In flash smelting, reaction gases are fed into a cylindrical vertical reaction chamber centrally through the top of the reaction chamber. The blasting in is via a specific blast-in member, into which the gases are usually directed horizontally for reasons of space use. This results in that the flow in the reaction chamber is asymmetrical. This disadvantage can be eliminated by means of a method according to the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the recovery of valuable metals from sulfidic, silicate-containing raw materials by slurrying the raw material in water, by subjecting the slurry to a selective leach under atmospheric conditions and in an acidic milieu, and by separating the valuable-metal containing solution from the solid leach residue.When the leach is carried out by introducing an oxygen-bearing gas into the slurry which contains finely-divided sulfide and carbon, the acidity of the slurry drops in a controlled manner so that a high efficiency of oxygen, and a high selectivity of the leach as regards valuable metals, are obtained. Owing to the presence of carbon the oxygen is reduced very easily and so oxygen efficiency is high and the rate of dissolving of the valuable metals increases in the slurry mixture.

Abstract: Lead in separated from a sulfidic concentrate by feeding a finely-divided concentrate, a silicate-high slagging agent, and air or oxygen-enriched air into the upper section of a suspension reaction shaft of a flash-smelting furnace in order to form a suspension and to oxidize the lead to lead oxide, by removing the gases via a riser pipe of the furnace and by discharging melt from a lower furnace of the flash-smelting furnace for further treatment. The slagging agent is fed at such a rate that substantially all of the melt is of the slag type and that all of the melt withdrawn from the lower furnace is directed to a reduction stage in order to reduce the lead silicate and to separate it as raw lead.

Abstract: In the invention, cyanide-bearing gas scrubbing waters, which are produced in metallurgical processes, are cleaned. The same scrubbing water is circulated through all gas scrubbers (1, 3) essentially connected to the metallurgical process. The solid substance which is thus acquired in the scrubbing water is separated from the scrubbing water in a clarifier (4), wherefrom the extracted solid substance is conducted as pulp into the grinding circle of the process. The cyanide-bearing scrubbing water is further conducted into the cooling (9) of the material received from the metallurgical process smelting furnace. In the cooling (b 9), the major part of the cyanide is evaporized due to the rise in temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a means for recovering heat from dust-bearing gases produced in the suspension smelting of sulphide concentrates. In order to reduce the tendency of the dusts to create accretions in the waste heat boiler (5), to the dust-bearing gases produced in the suspension smelting process (1) and/or to the slag is admixed a cooler, partly reactive fluid (12) prior to bringing them into indirect heat exchange contact in the waste heat boiler (5).