Mitsubishi Process Flow-Sheet

The figure shown below schematically describes the Mitsubishi Process, illustrating the sequetial smelting, slag cleaning, and converting stages and the continuous delivery of blister copper to the anode furnaces.

Select any stage in the process to view a description of each stage.

Three launder-connected furnaces are used: a circular Smelting (S) Furnace, an elliptical Slag Cleaning (CL) Furnace, and a circular Converting (C) Furnace. The mixture of matte and slag formed in the S-Furnace flows continuously to the CL-Furnace, where the denser copper matte separates from the discard slag. The matte is then siphoned to the C-Furnace, to be continuously converted to blister copper and C-slag. The latter is water granulated, dried, and recycled to the S-Furnace, while blister copper is siphoned continuously from the C-Furnace to the Anode Furnace.

The diagram below depicts the furnace arrangement used with the Mitsubishi process.

Description: To read a description of the Mitsubishi Process and the Kidd smelter at Timmins, click here or on the picture at left. In addition, information about copper is online, including background and end uses.

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