KIVCET smelting

D.W. Goosen and M.T. Martin, Ai lication of the KIVCET Smelting Technology at Cominco , naoer to be presented at the Mining Millennium 2000 Convention. Toronto, Canada, 8 March 2000. 

Figure 2 - Correlations of the Carry-over Factors with the Quality of the Lead Feeds, Flame Temperature and the Scale of Kivcet Smelting...

Thus, the basic physical-chemical mechanisms of the volatilization of lead compounds and the factors governing the formation of flash smelting dusts, depending on the quality of the lead feeds treated and the dimensions of the Kivcet unit, are explained on the basis of generalizations and the kinetic analysis of a wide range of experimental data on the production and composition of the Kivcet smelting dust. 

The implemention of KIVCET smelting technology over the last two years has mandated some changes in the leaching circuits of the zinc operations. As well, Cominco is working towards many strategic capacity, optimization and reliability enhancement projects with a view to producing more zinc in the future. 

Kivcet reaction between gases and soflds, ie, flash integral electric furnace for slag reduction water-cooled wall separates the smelting and reduction atmospheres... 

These operations are all conducted in the single unit of the Kivcet furnace, which consists of a smelting shaft, gas removal shaft, and electrothermic part. A schematic of the Kivcet process is shown in Figure 5 (13). The electrothermal part is separated from the smelt shaft in the gas space by a partition... 

Two processes, developed for the direct processing of lead sulfide concentrates to metallic lead (qv), have reached commercial scale. The Kivcet process combines flash smelting features and carbon reduction. The QSL process is a bath-smelting reactor having an oxidation 2one and a reduction 2one. Both processes use industrial oxygen. The chemistry can be shown as follows ... 

Kivcet [A Russian acronym meaning vortex oxygen electric smelting ] A flash smelting process for sulfide ores, using oxygen. In 1990, three plants had been built in Russia, one in Italy, and one in Bolivia. 

Smelting is a proeess whereby metals, sueh as lead, iron, or eopper, are recovered from a feedstock by the ehemieal reduetion of their eompounds. These reactions occur in various processes and take place at temperatures up to 1400°C in some lead blast furnaces, and to over 1800°C in iron blast furnaces. Various types of furnace are utilized worldwide for the smelting lead. These include the blast, reverberatory and Isasmelt/Ausmelt technologies [6] (see also Chapter 16), and the QSL [7] and Kivcet [8] processes. Not all secondary lead producers use modern technology such... 

The Kivcet process is able to treat a wide variety of raw materials. The reported ratio of primary to secondary materials was 73 27 in one plant (Portovesme) and reversed in the second (Cominco). At the Cominco plant, the bulk of the secondary material consists of zinc leach residues. The flash smelting process, however, requires drying the feed material, prior to its being charged into the furnace, to a moisture content of less than 1%. 

Smelting KIVCET Updrau Sinter Machine/ Blast Furnace UpdraugM Sinter Machine/ Blast Furnace Updraught Sintor Machine/ Blast Furnace QSL-Process... 

Smelting Kaldo Flash Smelter I Updraught Sinter Machine / Updraught Sinter Machine/ Kivcet Furnace ... 

ANALYSIS OF DUST FORMATION IN THE OXYGEN FLASH SMELTING OF LEAD-BEARING FEEDS IN THE KIVCET SMELTER... 

We assume, that at the heart of the dust formation problem in the flash smelting of lead feeds lies the general laws governing the carry-over values actually observed that depend on the scale (pilot or industrial) of the Kivcet unit and the quality of the lead-bearing feeds treated. 

Accordingly, this paper presents an analysis of dust formation during the flash smelting of lead-bearing feeds in the lUvcet process, using Kivcet experimental smelting data and special-purpose laboratory studies. 

Yu.I. Sannikov, Some Theoretical Issues on Lead Feeds Smelting in the Kivcet-CS Unit with the Coke Checker , Non-ferrous Metals (USSR . No.5,1990,19-24. 

A distinctive feature of the Kivcet process is its environmental friendliness, ability to run with high metals recovery and gaseous sulphur dioxide recovery. Originally, the Kivcet process was designed as a process for sulphide concentrate smelting. With that feed excellent process and cost attractive results were achieved. 

Since the lead smelter owned by OAO Kazzinc has ten years of experience in smelting lead-zinc sulphide concentrates by the Kivcet technology, a method of comparing physical and chemical properties of the bulk concentrate to the characteristics of typical lead-zinc raw materials has been developed. This method was used to decide on the feed composition and process operating conditions. Two major features of the bulk concentrate that affect the results of the smelting in the Kivcet unit were examined the calorific value and the desulphurization rate. 

Through changing proportions of the fluxes, a charge was made up whose calorific value corresponded closely to that of the lead-zinc feed that provided the best smelting results achieved in the Kivcet furnace. The feed turned out to be the one whose composition can be varied over a rather wide range lead 22-42%, zinc 5.0-7.6%, copper 8-10% and calcimn oxide 0.3-0.8%. The calorific value of the feed ranges from 600-660 kcal/kg, which is similar to the case of a lead-zinc sulphide mixture. 

Feed smelting in the Kivcet furnace and smelting products hoping... 

The products (lead bullion, matte and slag) pass fh)m the smelting shaft to the electric thermal zone of the Kivcet unit and separate there by density. The various phases are tapped from the furnace through the tap-holes arranged at different levels. 

---