Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating lead anode slime having high fluorine and arsenic content, in particular to a method comprising smelting of the lead anode slime and cleaning the produced off gases in a one or more wet gas cleaning stages.

Abstract: The invention suggests a filter device having a stationary head piece and a movable end piece, a pack of at least a recess plate and an adjacent recess plate between the head piece and the end piece, the recess plate and/or the adjacent recess plate having a recess, that forms a filter chamber between the recess plate and the adjacent recess plate, a first filter cloth and a second filter cloth between the recess plate and the adjacent recess plate for retaining as a filter cake a solid content of a suspension, and allowing a remaining liquid fraction of the suspension to pass as a filtrate, and a suspension pipe running through the pack between the head piece and the end piece for charging the suspension through the filling shoe between the first filter cloth and the second filter cloth into the filter chamber, and a filling shoe comprising an outlet section for the suspension, clamping the first filter cloth to the recess plate during filtering operation of the filter device, an anchoring section for anchor

Abstract: A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium for sorting out pieces of rock containing quartz vein includes receiving an electric signal representing an image of a piece of rock to be sorted; determining the number of pixels in the image having a predetermined color value that is indicative of presence of quartz; and in case the number of the pixels having said predetermined color value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the method comprises as step for identifying from the image linear forms between the area of the pixels having said predetermined color value and the area of pixels representing the rest of the piece of rock, and in case linear forms is, the method comprises a step for generating a control signal for controlling a deviator device to perform a sorting action.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating hot particles including a plurality of materials having different magnetic properties includes a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in a magnet assembly and configured to create a magnetic flux capable of providing a coercive force on at least a portion of the particles, the magnet assembly being mounted on a stationary shaft, a moving surface proximate the magnet assembly for carrying the particles in a downward path through the magnetic flux while the coercive force attracts the portion of the hot particles toward the moving surface, the moving surface being mounted on a drive shaft supported by a bearing, and an inert gas supply system which supplies inert gas into a gap between the stationary shaft and the drive shaft for cooling the drive shaft and the bearings, and into the magnet assembly for purging the magnet assembly of oxygen.

Abstract: A method and a system for monitoring clamping pressure exerted by a clamping cylinder to an electrode in an electrode slipping device which comprises an upper annular holder ring and a lower annular holder ring, each comprising at least one clamping assembly including a clamping shoe and clamping cylinder arranged in co-operation so that the clamping shoe is forced into pressure contact with the electrode and released from pressure contact with the electrode by the action of the clamping cylinder. The measuring system comprises a force sensor (30) mounted in connection with a pressing piece (22) that transmits the force created by the clamping cylinder to the clamping shoe. The force sensor can be a strain gage (30) mounted in a cavity (25) provided in the pressing piece (22) or a load cell mounted between the pressing piece (22) and the clamping cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of mineral and metallurgical processes, to disintegrating in general and to disintegrating by tumbling mills, and more particularly to a method and arrangement for determining a degree of fullness of a large grinding mill drum, and to a large grinding mill drum. An arrangement for determining a degree of fullness of a grinding mill drum has a sensor arrangement attached to at least one lifting bar bolt of an at least one lifting bar of the grinding mill. The sensor arrangement includes at least one force transducer attached to the at least one lifting bar bolt. With the help of the measurement arrangement, more reliable measurement data can be provided for the determination of the degree of fullness of a grinding mill drum.

Abstract: A solvent extraction method for hydrometallurgical liquid-liquid extraction processes, in which method solution phases are separated from a dispersion while the dispersion flows horizontally in a settler from a feed end to a discharge end. The mass flow of the dispersion and solution phases is divided into a plurality of parallel and mutually separated plug flows flowing in the settler from the feed end to the discharge end. The settler (1) comprises a plurality of elongated settler sections (4) which are mutually separated and side by side in parallel to each other, Inc settler sections (4) extending from the feed end (2) to the discharge end (3), forming a plurality of mutually separated parallel plug flow channels.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a solution containing zinc sulphate, so that at least one of the rare metals such as indium, gallium and germanium can be separated from it. A portion of the metals to be separated can be precipitated from zinc sulphate solution by neutralizing the acidic solution and at least a portion is cemented by means of metal powder. The solid precipitates that are formed can be combined and treated subsequently in some suitable way to leach out the desired metals.

Abstract: A drive system for an apparatus separating hot particles being received by a moving surface includes a drive shaft for driving the moving surface receiving the hot particles, a drive unit for rotating the drive shaft, and a flexible coupling arranged between the drive shaft and the drive unit. The flexible coupling includes thin portions defining a portion of a heat transfer path from the drive shaft to the drive unit. The thin portions have large surface area to volume ratios for extending the heat transfer path. The thin portions dissipate heat when the flexible coupling is driven by the drive unit. A method for dissipating heat from a drive system for an apparatus for separating hot particles includes providing a flexible coupling and dissipating heat from the flexible coupling.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a ferroalloy containing nickel. From a fine-grained raw material containing iron and chromium and a fine-grained raw material containing nickel, a mixture is formed with binding agent, the mixture is agglomerated so that first formed objects of desired size are obtained. The objects formed are heat treated in order to strengthen the objects so that the heat treated objects withstand conveyance and loading into a smelter furnace. Further, the objects are smelted under reducing circumstances in order to achieve ferrochromenickel, a ferroalloy of a desired composition containing at least iron, chromium and nickel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of converting copper containing material to blister copper comprising: (a) providing copper containing material comprising copper sulfides and iron sulfides, whereby the copper containing material comprises at least 35 wt % copper of the total weight of the copper containing material; (b) reacting the copper containing material in a furnace with an oxygen containing gas, in the absence of flux, to effect oxidation of iron sulfide and copper sulfide, and controlling injection of the oxygen containing gas and the temperature so that the resulting converter slag is in a molten phase to obtain blister copper and converter slag.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for refining copper concentrate. The arrangement includes a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft, and a settler. The reaction shaft is provided with a concentrate burner for feeding copper concentrate such as copper sulfide concentrate and/or copper matte and additionally at least reaction gas into the reaction shaft to obtain a blister layer containing blister and a first slag layer containing slag on top of the blister layer in the settler, and a slag cleaning furnace. The arrangement includes a feeder configured for feeding blister from the blister layer in the settler and for feeding slag from the first slag layer in the settler into the slag cleaning furnace.

Abstract: A process for operating a fuel fired reactor includes introducing fuel into the reactor and burning the fuel in the reactor by means of at least one main burner. Relevant parameters of the process are monitored. Within a predetermined critical operating range for an enforced shut down, a secondary, more stringent operating range is implemented as shut down criteria. The main burner is shut down upon one or more of the relevant parameters leaving the secondary operating range while at least one pilot burner continues to operate as long as the relevant parameters are maintained within the critical operating range.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing cathode copper. The method comprises a smelting step including feeding sulfidic copper bearing material and oxygen-bearing reaction gas into a suspension smelting furnace, to produce blister copper, a fire refining step including feeding blister copper into an anode furnace to produce molten anode copper, an anode casting step to produce cast anodes, a quality checking step for dividing cast anodes into accepted cast anodes and rejected cast anodes, an electrolytic refining step including subjecting accepted cast anodes to electrolytic refining in an electrolytic cell to produce cathode copper and as a by-product, spent cast anodes, and a recycling step for recycling anode copper of rejected cast anodes and anode copper of spent cast anodes.

Abstract: The invention concerns a system of gas ducts (6) for transporting gas, for example, into electrolytic equipment, in connection with which there are means (13) for taking at least gas into the system of gas ducts, whereby there is a suitable number of gas supply holes (7) in the system of gas ducts in a wall (19) limiting the system of gas ducts, whereby the material, such as gas, flowing in the system of gas ducts (6) is prevented at least in part from passing through the wall (19) of the system of gas ducts (6). The invention also concerns equipment and a method for electrolytic recovery of metal, such as copper.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for use in a contact group of a sulfuric acid plant includes a chamber in which a tube bundle is arranged on a circular ring. A gas space is formed between the tube bundle and a chamber casing surrounding the tube bundle. A gas supply opening is provided in the chamber casing and is configured to introduce a gas into the gas space substantially radially to the tube bundle. A gas outlet opening adjoins an interior space enclosed by the tube bundle in a substantially axial direction. A center of the tube bundle is offset with respect to a center of the chamber casing in a direction opposite to the gas supply opening.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a melt launder to be used for transferring molten phase such as slag, matte, or metal formed in a process for the production of metals. The invention also relates to a melt launder to be used for transferring molten phase such as slag, matte, or metal formed in a process for the production of metals. The melt launder comprises a launder body of metal, a flow channel for molten phase, a refractory lining for lining the launder body of metal so that the refractory lining at least partly forms a flow surface for molten phase in the flow channel for molten phase, and a layer of steel between the launder body of metal and the refractory lining.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and equipment for the continuous sintering of mineral material in a sintering furnace (S). In the method, a material bed (2) is formed on a conveyor base (1), the material bed (2) is conveyed by the conveyor base (1) through the process zones (I-VII) of the sintering furnace that have different temperatures, the zones including at least one drying zone (I), at least one cooling zone (VII), and at least one other process zone (II, III, IV, V, VI) between the said drying zone and cooling zone, and gas is conducted through the conveyor base and the material bed (2), when the material bed travels through the process zones (I-VII), and gas is circulated in a circulation gas duct (3) from the last cooling zone (VII) to the drying zone (I). Part of the gas flow that is conducted to the drying zone (I) in the circulation gas duct (3) is removed as an exhaust gas flow (B) by the exhaust gas blower (5) of an exhaust gas duct (4).

Abstract: A process for removing mercury from a process gas includes: (i) reacting mercury vapor present in the process gas with mercuric chloride dissolved in a scrubbing solution so as to form a suspension containing mercurous chloride; and (ii) settling the mercurous chloride out of the suspension. Chlorine is injected into the suspension before the settling step (ii) so as to form a reaction solution.

Abstract: A lance for conducting a pyrometallurgical operation by top submerged lancing (TSL) injection, has inner and outer substantially concentric pipes. The lower end of the inner or at least a next innermost pipe is set at a level relative to the lower end of the outer pipe required for the pyrometallurgical operation. The relative positions of the inner and outer pipes are longitudinally adjustable to enable the length of the mixing chamber to be maintained at a desired setting during a period of use to compensate for the lower end of the outer pipe wearing and burning back.