Silicon carbide bricks for converters
Release time: 2025-04-30
The process of producing blister copper by blowing matte in a converter is divided into two periods
Refractory materials for converters
In the pyrometallurgical copper production process, most of the process of producing blister copper from matte uses converter blowing. Converters for blowing matte are divided into three types: horizontal, vertical, and cylindrical. Currently, horizontal alkaline converters are mostly used in various countries around the world.
Horizontal converters come in many specifications and models, but the P-S type side-blown converter is commonly used, mainly in medium and large sizes. The structure of the P-S type converter is shown in Figure 12-17. There is a furnace mouth in the middle of the furnace body, used for charging, smoke exhaust, slag discharge, and copper tapping. A row of tuyères is set along the horizontal direction on one side of the furnace to inject compressed air or oxygen-enriched air.
The process of producing blister copper by blowing matte in a converter is divided into two periods: The first period, from charging matte and adding quartz sand to slag formation to the end of slag tapping, is called the slag formation period. If there are many impurities, the operation must be repeated many times to obtain white matte with a copper content of over 70%. The slag formation reaction is a vigorous exothermic reaction, and the furnace temperature rises rapidly. An excessively high furnace temperature will accelerate slag erosion and refractory lining melting. Therefore, a certain amount of cold material should be added to lower the temperature at the end of the slag formation period. The second period, after slag tapping, continuously blowing until all the S in Cu2S is removed, is called the copper-making period. During the copper-making period, the blowing continues without the addition of flux. When the copper content in the blister copper reaches over 99%, the blowing is stopped, and the copper is tapped.
Converter blowing is an intermittent operation. The furnace temperature reaches above 1450°, and the empty furnace wall temperature is about 600-700° after copper tapping. The sudden temperature change causes the refractory lining to crack and peel off; the refractory lining is severely chemically corroded by the high-temperature molten slag, which is more prominent in the slag line area; under the action of external force (blowing), the melt will inevitably undergo vigorous stirring, and the influence of tilting the furnace further intensifies the corrosion of the refractory lining by the molten slag. Therefore, the converter refractory lining often suffers from melting, peeling, and cracking and brick dropping. It requires the use of refractory materials with high refractoriness, high bulk density, low porosity, good slag resistance, and good thermal shock resistance. During construction, the brick joints should be small, the surface should be smooth, and any local damage should be repaired in time.
The converter working lining is generally made of silicon carbide bricks. There is a layer of magnesia refractory ramming material bonded with brine close to the steel shell
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