Copper smelting electric furnace for Alloy refining furnace

1.Working principle
Copper smelting electric furnaces generally use arc heating or resistance heating methods. Arc heating is the use of arc discharge between electrodes and furnace materials to convert electrical energy into thermal energy, rapidly raising the temperature of the furnace materials above their melting point for melting. Resistance heating is the process of heating the furnace material by passing current through the resistor inside the furnace to generate heat. During the smelting process, copper and other valuable metals in copper containing materials are reduced to form copper liquid and slag. Due to their different densities, the copper liquid and slag will separate into layers, thus achieving separation.

2.Structural composition
Furnace body: usually made of steel plate shell, lined with refractory materials inside to withstand high temperature and slag erosion. The shape of the furnace body is mostly circular or elliptical, with different sizes and capacities to adapt to different production scales.
Electrode system: including electrodes, electrode holders, electrode lifting devices, etc. The electrode is generally made of graphite electrode or self baking electrode, which is fixed by an electrode holder and connected to the power supply. The electrode lifting device can automatically adjust the electrode position according to the reaction situation in the furnace and the height of the furnace material to ensure the stability and heating effect of the arc.
Feeding system: used to add copper concentrate, flux (such as limestone, quartz sand, etc.), and other auxiliary materials to the electric furnace in a certain proportion. The feeding system usually includes equipment such as silos, feeders, and conveying pipelines, which can achieve precise batching and continuous feeding.
Copper outlet and slag outlet: The copper outlet is located on one side of the bottom of the furnace and is used to discharge the melted copper liquid. The slag outlet is located at a higher position of the furnace body, which facilitates the discharge of slag before copper discharge. Both the copper outlet and slag outlet are equipped with corresponding opening and closing devices to control the discharge of copper liquid and slag.
Smoke exhaust system: installed on the top or side of the furnace, used to exhaust the smoke generated during the smelting process. Smoke contains harmful substances such as sulfur dioxide and dust, which need to be purified before being discharged into the atmosphere. The smoke exhaust system also includes equipment for flue gas cooling, dust removal, desulfurization, etc.

3.Technical Parameter
Electric furnace power: Depending on the production scale and process requirements, the power of copper smelting electric furnaces is generally between several thousand kilowatts and tens of thousands of kilowatts. Large copper smelters typically use high-power electric furnaces to improve production efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Working temperature: The working temperature of copper smelting electric furnaces is generally around 1100-1300 ℃, depending on factors such as the composition of the furnace charge, smelting process, and product quality requirements. During the refining stage, the temperature may be adjusted to meet the needs of removing different impurities.
Electrode diameter: The size of the electrode diameter is determined based on the power and current density of the electric furnace, generally ranging from a few hundred millimeters to thousands of millimeters. Larger diameter electrodes can withstand higher currents and are suitable for high-power electric furnaces, but they also require corresponding electrode holders and lifting devices to cooperate.

4.Advantages and Applications
Advantages: Compared with traditional pyrometallurgical processes, copper smelting electric furnaces have the advantages of high production efficiency, low energy consumption, stable product quality, and low environmental pollution. Electric furnaces can accurately control temperature and furnace atmosphere, which is beneficial for improving copper recovery rate and reducing impurity content. In addition, electric furnaces have strong adaptability and can process copper concentrates of different grades and compositions, as well as recover secondary resources such as scrap copper.
Application: Copper smelting electric furnaces are widely used in the copper smelting industry and are one of the main equipment for modern copper production. It can not only be used for large-scale copper concentrate smelting, but also for processing various copper containing waste materials, slag, etc., achieving comprehensive recycling and utilization of copper resources. Meanwhile, with the continuous development of technology, copper smelting electric furnaces are also moving towards large-scale and intelligent directions to further improve production efficiency and reduce costs.