Design and Construction of a Copper Plant

Design & Construction of a Copper Plant based

on modern & environmental-friendly Processes
Dr.-Ing. Andrej Avrachov, Dipl.-Ing. Pavel Saltykov, Dipl.-Ing. Jörg J. F. Strecker, Dr.-Ing. Albin
Dobersek, Dipl.-Ing. Turarbek A. Azekenov*, Dr.-Ing. Sergey N. Moskalenko˟
Engineering Dobersek GmbH
Pastorenkamp 31
41169 Mönchengladbach, Germany
* Kazzinc Ltd.
1, Promyshlennaya Street
070002 Ust-Kamenogorsk, Republic of Kazakhstan
˟ Kazzinctech Ltd.
1, Promyshlennaya Street
070002 Ust-Kamenogorsk, Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract
In 2007-2011 Engineering Dobersek GmbH was involved in a project to build a new copper smelter
and copper refinery for Kazzinc Ltd. in Kazakhstan with an annual production of approx. 90,000
tons of refined copper cathodes. This project was a fully integrated project, in which most by-
products from each operation step are treated to form saleable metal products.
Engineering Dobersek GmbH as an EPCM contractor was responsible for the general coordination
of the project, for whole plant design, equipment delivery, erection management, commissioning
and personnel training.
The copper technology by Kazzinc Ltd. includes following steps:
• Feed preparation and smelting in TSL furnace
• Slag/matte treatment in the rectangular electric furnace
• Copper matte converting in the PS-converters
• Blister copper fire refining in the anode furnaces
• Anodes casting on the wheel machine
• Copper electrolytic refining with permanent cathode technology
• Anode slime treatment to Doré metal
This classic technology is completed with modern dust, gas and water treatment systems which ac-
cord to world and European standards. The new copper plant was successfully put into operation in
the summer 2011.

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Objective: Improved full-scale Extraction of valuable Compo-

nents from own raw Material

Introduction
Kazzinc is a major fully integrated zinc producer with considerable lead, gold and silver credits
located in Kazakhstan. Along with increased base of raw materials currently developed by the
Company the percentage and importance of copper in the entire polymetallic raw material structure
increases, too. As opposed to these metals, which are metallurgically processed and sold to the con-
sumers in their pure form, copper was extracted from the ore into saleable copper concentrate
shipped to the consumers as semi-finished product.

The New Metallurgy Project

The New Metallurgy Project implemented by Kazzinc was intended to do away with raw material-
oriented copper production through construction of two metallurgical plants: a copper smelter and a
copper refinery to produce copper cathodes, a high value-added product which meets the highest
international standards.

Figure 1: View on Plant under Construction in Ust Kamenogorsk

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 Design and Construction of a Copper Plant

The most advanced environmental-friendly autogenous processing of sulfidic copper concentrates

with complete sulfur utilization was applied.
The given advantages are:
• The metallurgical processes applied at the Copper, Lead and Zinc plants were tied in with the
integrated processing of middlings, e.g. Pb dusts from the copper smelter and Pb sulfate from
the Zinc plant are processed at the Lead plant. Slag fumes from the Lead plant are processed at
the Zinc plant and the Cu-bearing middlings from the Lead plant are processed at the copper
plant;
• Flexibility in terms of raw materials composition, fuel and reductant types as well as operation
conditions control;
• Extraction of Copper, Gold and Silver from copper concentrates and production of pure sale-
able high value-added metals;
• Improved complex utilization of raw materials due to production of a new commercial product,
i.e. refined copper cathodes;
• Minimization of SO2 emissions from processing of sulfidic copper concentrate and sulfuric
acid production.

Plant Description
Process-wise the new plant which is shown in figure 1 in front of the overview about the production
site in Ust Kamenogorsk, can be described as follows:
Quite simple feed preparation system designed for processing of concentrates with up to 14 %
moisture and consisting of bins, conveyors, feeders and a mixing drum. The feed gallery to the ISA-
smelter is shown in figure 2.
ISAsmelt furnace for autogenous oxidizing smelting of Gold-bearing copper concentrates and cop-
per-bearing reverts to produce molten slag and matte. Process gas is cooled in the waste heat boiler
to 340 - 400 °С with coarse dust precipitation. Cooling is followed by "dry" purification in the elec-
trostatic precipitator where fine dust is removed; the purified gas is supplied to the acid plant
through the gas duct.
Discharged molten slag and matte are supplied through the water-cooled copper launder to the rec-
tangular 11 MVA electric furnace with three Soederberg electrodes. The tapping procedure is
shown in figure 3 and figure 4 gives an overview on the electric furnace. The ladles with precious
metals containing copper matte are delivered to the converting section. Slow cooling of low-grade
(0.7 % Cu and less) slag ensures optimal coalescence conditions for copper-bearing slag compo-
nents. The slowly cooled slag is crushed and delivered to one of Kazzinc-owned concentrators for
reprocessing. Re-extracted copper is sent back for pyro-metallurgical processing. Figure 5 gives a
view inside the copper smelt building.

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Figure 2: Feed gallery to the ISAsmelt furnace

Figure 3: Tapping procedure on the electric furnace

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 Design and Construction of a Copper Plant

Figure 4: View on electric furnace

Copper matter is processed to copper blister in two 80 ton Peirce-Smith converters - one in opera-
tion and the other under rebricking. Figure 6 shows the charging procedure. The entire process con-
tributes to considerable resource savings as opposed to the process of similar capacity with three
converters. Semtech system ensures through control of converters operation, including timely dis-
charge of matte and slag of different converting periods.

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Figure 5: View inside the copper smelt building

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Figure 6: Charging of the Peirce-Smith converter

Converter gases cooled in the vacuum evaporators which are shown in figure 7 and purified in the
dry ESP are supplied to the gas duct to join rich gas from Isasmelt furnace and follow to the new
acid plant, which is an integral part of the New Metallurgy Project, for SO2 utilization and double
contact acid production.
Copper blister is pyrometallurgically refined in two 200-ton anode furnaces with further casting in
16-mould casting wheel. Figure 8 gives an overview about the two anode furnaces while figure 9
shows the 3-D modelling. The mentioned mould casting machine is shown in figure 10 from top
view.

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Figure 7: Vacuum evaporaters

Figure 8: View on two anode furnaces

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Figure 9: 3D - design of two anode furnaces

Figure 10: Top view of the 16-mould casting wheel

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Dust generated in various production sections of Isasmelt system and other pyrometallurgical proc-
esses is collected in an integrated dust collection system (1,000,000 m3 design capacity) and proc-
essed at the lead plant with lead metal production.
Copper anodes are transported by crane to the anode storage area, sorted and delivered to the tank-
house for electrolitic refining. The tankhouse, shown in figure 11, is equipped with the machines for
automated preparation, washing and stripping of anodes and the fully automates crane used for an-
odes and cathode plates transportation and installation into the cells. The final product is copper
cathodes, MOK and MOOK grades (99.97 and 99.99% Cu respectively).

Figure 11: Copper refinery tankhouse with the fully automates crane in the back
During electrolysis gold and silver pass into slime to be further recovered at the precious metal re-
finery with production of 99.95% gold and silver. Copper is removed from anode slime in the at-
mospheric leaching section. Figure 12 gives an idea about the leaching section in the refinery hall.
A view into the anode slime treatment section is shown in figure 13.
Copper chips are used to extract tellurium, which is a by-product of electrolytic copper refining,
from the electrolyte in the form of cuprous telluride.
Spent electrolyte is supplied to 3-stage regeneration for copper cathodes production while some
sulfuric acid is recovered from the electrolyte to reduce gypsum formation and recycled in the proc-
ess.

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Figure 12: Design of atmospheric leaching tanks

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Figure 13: Anode slime treatment section

Conclusions
Implementation of three segments of the New Metallurgy Project, i.e. construction of the new cop-
per and acid plants and reconstruction of the existing lead plant contributed to reduction of air pol-
lution by the Metallurgical Complex in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Minor emissions from the new copper
smelter were more than offset by almost complete utilization of gases from the state-of-the art lead
smelter in sulfuric acid production. Previously these diluted gases were released into the atmos-
phere.
In addition, Kazzinc enjoys a broader product line and higher production output, which along with
complex utilization of raw materials and more flexible production processes contributed to higher
net profits.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank «Kazzinc Holdings» Ltd for permission to publish this paper.

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