Blast furnace has been used for iron/copper/copper-nickel/zinc/lead and zinc-lead complex concentrate smelting for a long time. It plays a fundamental role to modern metallurgy and is still very important in the small-scale smelting application. After numerous modifications based on practical experience, Metalcess is able to offer a high performance solution with complete set of blast furnace highlighted for its high recovery rate, low energy consumption and environmental-friendly feature. 

Application of blast furnace in copper metallurgy includes direct smelting of copper oxide and smelting of copper/copper-nickel sulfide after sintering/desulfurization.

To improve the productivity of blast furnace, minimize smelting steps and increase the SO₂concentration for acid-making, Metalcess provides upgrade solution to meet the higher requirement for environment protection, efficiency and automation of modern metallurgy.

Characteristics

1.    Wide adaptability to raw material, from iron, copper, copper-nickel, zinc, lead and zinc-lead complex concentrate;

2.    Application of rich-oxygen air blast offers high smelting temperature, enhances hearth capacity and generates high concentration SO₂ gas suitable for sulfuric acid-making;

3.    Optimized furnace shell design with steam jacket amplifies reaction zone and smelting effect and reduces heat loss;

4.    Reduced investment of waste heat exchanger for cooling the off-gas; 

5.    High metal recovery rate, normally less than 0.3% metal in slag;

6.    Simple equipment and light investment, particularly advantageous for production capacity below 50kt/a.