01 Formulation of copper concentrateLarge ships bring copper...

01 Formulation of copper concentrate

Large ships bring copper concentrates from overseas mines. The copper concentrates are unloaded by the berth's massive unloader, after which they are transferred to the storage yard where they are sorted and stored. After the concentrates are separated into different storage bins by formulation quality, they are transferred to a flash smelting furnace.

02 Flash smelting furnace

The copper concentrates are fed through the flash smelting furnace with oxygen-enriched air. In the furnace, the concentrates are instantly oxidized, after which they melt and separate by their own reaction heat into copper matte with a grade of 65% and slag consisting of iron oxide, silica, and other compounds.

Reaction in the flash smelting furnace
CuFeS₂ + SiO₂ + O₂ → Cu₂S・FeS + 2FeO・SiO₂ + SO₂ + Reaction heat

03 Converter furnace

The matte produced by the flash smelting furnace is transferred to the Converter furnace. Oxygen-enriched air is blown into the Converter furnace to oxidize the matte further to create blister copper with a grade of approximately 99%.

Reaction in the converter
Cu₂S・FeS + SiO₂ + O₂ → Cu + 2FeO・SiO₂ + SO₂ + Reaction heat

04 Anode furnace

Butane gas is blown into the anode furnace as a reductant to remove the oxygen in the blister copper, which is refined to a purity of approximately 99.5%.

05 Anode casting wheel

The refined blister copper is poured into casting molds lined up side by side on the revolving circular table of a casting wheel and cast into anode plates for electrolytic refining. The anode plates are approximately 1m x 1m x 0.05m in size, and weigh 380 kg per plate.

06 Refinery

Anode plates and stainless steel cathode plates are alternately set into the electrorefining cell, where a proper level of DC current is supplied. Dissolved copper from the anode is electrolytically deposited on the stainless steel cathode plate. After about 10 days of electrolysis, the cathode is lifted out and stripped from the stainless steel plate, resulting in the completion of refined copper (with grade of 99.99%) as a final product.
The refined copper is shipped in stacked bulks, which are 1m in length and width and approximately 80kg in weight.

07 Sulfuric acid plant

The gases expelled from the flash smelting furnace and converter furnace include highly concentrated SO₂ gas.
The SO₂ gas is first recovered from the waste heat boiler. After electrostatic precipitators remove dust particles in the gases, the gas is transferred to the sulfuric acid plant.
At the sulfuric acid plant, the catalytic reaction of vanadium oxides causes SO₂ to oxidize into SO₃, which is absorbed in water to yield concentrated sulfuric acid.
The manufactured concentrated sulfuric acid and oleum is shipped by ship and lorry.

08 Slime treatment plant

Slime generated in the electrolytic refining process contains precious and rare metals such as gold, silver, selenium, tellurium, etc. These precious and rare metals are recovered through processes in the slime treatment plant.
The powdered gold from the slime treatment plant is melted and cast into ingots.

The article with diagrams
https://www.ppcu.co.jp/eng/about_ppc/processes.html

CYM Copper metal plate avoids stages 1-5 and becomes highly sought after by smelters wanting to cut costs on copper rod production.