The main reasons for increased copper losses with slags from vanyukov furnace

The article examines the factors affecting to the loss of copper with slags during autogenous smelting of copper concentrates at the Balkhash copper smelting plant (BCP). The composition of concentrates processed in the Vanyukov furnace was analyzed. Slag formation during alloying FeO with ores containing approximately the same amount of SiO2 was studied. The fluxing ability of silicate ore used in charge smelting at BCP has been determined. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the distribution of elements in the slag and the main reason for the low fluxing ability of the ores used at BCP was revealed