Pyrometallurgical Preconcentration Technique for the Recovery of Copper, Nickel and Cobalt from Copper Converter Slag

Abstract

Laboratory trials of reduction-smelting of copper converter slag of M/s Hindustan Copper Limited, Ghatsila to preconcentrate the nonferrous metal values into a metallic alloy form gave an indication for its utility as a pretreatment for a subsequent hydrometallurgical processing to separate the individual metals. Although electric slag cleaning furnaces are prevalent in many copper industries, it was decided to investigate other furnace systems for full scale production, in order to make the whole process cost effective. This paper describes the effort of the R&D Centre of M/s Sandvik Asia Limited, Pune in this direction.