Pyrometallurgical copper smelting scheme of chalcocite: thermodynamic theoretical analysis and experimental verification of direct-to-blister smelting method using chalcocite mixed with pyrite

Wang, Song; Lv, Guozhi; Zhang, Tingan

doi:10.24200/sci.2025.65939.9747

Pyrometallurgical copper smelting scheme of chalcocite: thermodynamic theoretical analysis and experimental verification of direct-to-blister smelting method using chalcocite mixed with pyrite

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Song Wang

Guozhi Lv

Tingan Zhang

Key Laboratory of Ecological Metallurgy of Multi-metal Intergrown Ores of Ministry of Education, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China

10.24200/sci.2025.65939.9747

Abstract

Chalcocite ore, which has high silica but low iron contents, is uneconomical to smelt using conventional two stage smelting processes. In this paper, thermodynamic analysis and experimental verification of the direct-to-blister smelting of chalcocite ore were studied. The equilibrium compositions, slag phase diagrams and slag viscosities indicated that the direct-to-blister smelting of chalcocite ore is unreasonable, and the thermodynamic adjustment scheme shows that adding pyrite and calcium oxide to the chalcocite ore can make the slag type reasonable. The feasibility control plan of the slag type was verified by experiments, and the experimental data were analyzed by chemical composition analysis, XRD, EPMA and viscosity measuring apparatus. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations. The copper recovery is between 80% and 91%, while the content of copper in the slag is in the range of 8% to 15%, indicating that direct-to-blister smelting can be realized on a lab scale.

Keywords

Chalcocite

Pyrite

Direct-to-blister smelting

thermodynamic analysis

experimental verification

Subjects