Abstract: Provided herein is a process of fire refining blister copper, comprising the steps of (a) providing molten blister copper into an anode furnace; (b) when sulfur concentration of the molten blister copper provided in step (a) is above a first prescribed target value, oxidizing sulfur in the molten blister copper by blowing oxygen containing gas into the molten blister copper until the first prescribed target value has been reached; (c) subsequently lowering the sulfur and oxygen content in blister copper by blowing inert gas into the molten blister copper until a second prescribed target value has been reached, wherein the inert phase (c) is continued until the second prescribed target value of the oxygen concentration is below 4000 ppm, and the second prescribed target value of the sulfur concentration is below 500 ppm; (d) when certain condition(s) occur, subsequently reducing oxygen in the blister copper; and (e) optionally casting.

Abstract: A method for refining sulfidic copper concentrate includes feeding sulfidic copper concentrate and oxygen-bearing reaction gas and slag forming material into a reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace, collecting slag and blister copper in a settler of the suspension smelting furnace to form a blister layer containing blister copper and a slag layer, and discharging slag and blister copper separately from the settler of the suspension smelting furnace, so that slag is fed into an electric furnace. The method further includes feeding a part of the sulfidic copper concentrate into the electric furnace.

Abstract: Provided is a method for melting copper scrap and/or refining blister copper, comprising the steps of: (a) charging of copper scrap into an empty anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (b) charging molten blister copper into the anode furnace; (c) optionally charging more copper scrap into the anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (d) optionally repeating steps (b) and/or (c) one or more times until the anode furnace is full and a desired amount of copper scrap has been charged and melted until a final copper batch is obtained; and (e) refining the final copper batch to obtain anode copper.

Abstract: A method for refining sulfidic copper concentrate includes feeding sulfidic copper concentrate and oxygen-bearing reaction gas and slag forming material into a reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace, collecting slag and blister copper in a settler of the suspension smelting furnace to form a blister layer containing blister copper and a slag layer, and discharging slag and blister copper separately from the settler of the suspension smelting furnace, so that slag is fed into an electric furnace. The method further includes feeding a part of the sulfidic copper concentrate into the electric furnace.

Abstract: Provided herein is a process of fire refining blister copper, comprising the steps of (a) providing molten blister copper into an anode furnace; (b) when sulfur concentration of the molten blister copper provided in step (a) is above a first prescribed target value, oxidizing sulfur in the molten blister copper by blowing oxygen containing gas into the molten blister copper until the first prescribed target value has been reached; (c) subsequently lowering the sulfur and oxygen content in blister copper by blowing inert gas into the molten blister copper until a second prescribed target value has been reached, wherein the inert phase (c) is continued until the second prescribed target value of the oxygen concentration is below 4000 ppm, and the second prescribed target value of the sulfur concentration is below 500 ppm; (d) when certain condition(s) occur, subsequently reducing oxygen in the blister copper; and (e) optionally casting.

Abstract: Provided is a method for melting copper scrap and/or refining blister copper, comprising the steps of: (a) charging of copper scrap into an empty anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (b) charging molten blister copper into the anode furnace; (c) optionally charging more copper scrap into the anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (d) optionally repeating steps (b) and/or (c) one or more times until the anode furnace is full and a desired amount of copper scrap has been charged and melted until a final copper batch is obtained; and (e) refining the final copper batch to obtain anode copper.

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.