Thermo-chemical model of the Pierce-Smith copper converter

Abstract

A thermo-chemical model of the Pierce-Smith copper converter has been developed to predict the melt temperature. The primary assumption of the model was that all the matte, the slag, and the gaseous phases in the converter were in thermal and chemical equilibrium. In this model, the matte components considered were copper, iron, and sulphur elements. In the slag-making stage, all the reacted iron was converted to fayalite. On the basis of the model prediction and comparison with the plant data, the reaction rates of iron and oxygen in the slag-making stage and sulphur and oxygen in the blowing copper stage were assumed to be mixing controlled. The converter temperature was calculated by heat balance over time. The model was validated by detailed comparisons with measured industrial data. Good agreements between predicted and measured data were obtained. The results of parametric studies show that the melt temperature in the converter depends on the process parameters such as oxygen efficiency, melt emissivity, and oxygen enrichment. The results of this research can be used for process automation and optimizing.