METHOD FOR ELECTRIC MELTING OF SULFIDE COPPER-NICKEL MATERIALS Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC C22B23/02 C22B15/00 

FIELD: metallurgy, possibly electric melting of sulfide copper-nickel materials to matte.

SUBSTANCE: method comprises steps of agglomeration annealing of sulfide copper-nickel material; loading agglomerate to electric furnace together with sulfidizing agent, coal and flux mixture including sandstone and embedded particles of sulfide copper-nickel ore loaded to furnace by distributed fashion; electric melting of prepared charge for producing slag and matte melts; separately draining slag and matte. Quota of flux mixture loaded to zone of electric furnace between electrode and wall with outlet opening for slag is determined according to formula: Fl = A - B x C, where Fl - quota of flux mixture loaded to zone of electric furnace between electrode and wall with outlet opening for slag; A = 0.1429, empiric coefficient corresponding to condition of uniform distribution of flux mixture loaded to zone of electric furnace between electrode and wall with outlet opening for slag at increased quota of embedded ore in flux mixture; C - mass quota of embedded ore in flux mixture. Voltage of electrode that is arranged near wall with outlet opening for slag and immersed into melt slag more than other electrodes is reduced by 30 V relative to voltage of other electrodes.

EFFECT: possibility for processing embedded ore as flux additive without stage of concentration, lowered losses of nickel and cobalt with spent slag.

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