Freeport-McMoRan Miami—Waste Heat Boiler Availability Improvements

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) uses ISASMELT™ top-submerged lance (TSL) technology for the primary smelting of copper concentrates at the Miami smelter. The furnaceFurnace was installed in 1992 with a capture system designed to cool and contain molten splash, dust, and gases generated from smelting reactions. The capture system is comprised of water radiant roof and wall panels, some of which generate steam. “Waste heat boilerWaste Heat Boiler” (WHB) is often used to refer to the primary furnace’s off-gasOff-gas handling system because of the useful steam it generates. The waste heat boiler system must be available to operate the primary smelting furnaceFurnace. Issues related to a waste heat boilerWaste Heat Boiler often make up a significant portion of a smelter’s downtime. Thus, effectively maintaining and operating the waste heat boiler is critical to a smelter’s overall effectiveness. The Miami smelter’s boiler maintenance and operational improvements to date will be reviewed in this paper.