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As we move towards green energy from renewable sources, copperCopper is an essential resource to support decarbonisation of the modern world. The demandDemand for copperCopper is increasing whilst the available copperCopper resources are degrading in quality. One challenge for the future is how we can optimise existing processes to support an increase in copper productionCopper production. CopperCopper is produced at the BHP CopperCopper SA SmelterSmelter based at Olympic DamOlympic Dam. The Electric Slag Cleaning FurnaceSlag Cleaning Furnace (EF) blisterBlister tapholeTaphole refractory materialsRefractory material and throughputThroughput variables are analysed to enable a safe increase in tapholeTaphole refractoryRefractories life. An increase in refractoryRefractories life results in the potential for more copperCopper throughputThroughput of the tapholeTaphole between planned maintenance periods. Alumina (Al2O3) refractoryRefractories with 30% chromium oxide (Cr2O3) (RK30SR) has been trialled in direct comparison to the existing Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 10% Cr2O3 (RK10SR) to determine whether there are advantages for either composition. Mineralogical analysisMineralogical Analysis on very small sample dimensions (i.e. size) has shown a potential advantage due to the higher amount of Cr2O3. Further investigation is advised to provide a sufficient sample size required to validate the results. The Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 30% Cr2O3 is 1.4× more expensive than the Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 10% Cr2O3 and therefore should only be implemented once additional throughputThroughput will be achieved. The previous 2020 target to increase the throughputThroughput of the EF blisterBlister tapholesTaphole by 40% using a new tapholeTaphole designDesign (Essack et al. in Blister tapping: increasing production with CFD. Santiago, pp. 655–665) installed in 2021 has been achieved with the existing lower Cr2O3 refractoryRefractories. The maximum allowable copperCopper tonnes tapped through the tapholeTaphole is the currentCurrent driver of downtime for refractoryRefractories replacementReplacement. The existing refractoryRefractories is sufficient to achieve another 20% improvement from the 2020 tonnes limit. At this point, the number of lances used to open the tapholeTaphole becomes the limitation for copper productionCopper production. Therefore, the impact of lance usage needs to be addressed as a priority with continuation of the refractoryRefractories trial once higher lance throughputThroughput is achieved, and any benefits expected from the Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 30% Cr2O3 can be realised whilst in use.

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Olympic Dam Electric Slag Cleaning Furnace Blister Taphole Optimisation for Increased Copper Production

  • 会议论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Abigaile Gibson,
  • Kathy Ehrig,
  • Vanessa Liebezeit,
  • Danny Rhys Jenkins

摘要

As we move towards green energy from renewable sources, copperCopper is an essential resource to support decarbonisation of the modern world. The demandDemand for copperCopper is increasing whilst the available copperCopper resources are degrading in quality. One challenge for the future is how we can optimise existing processes to support an increase in copper productionCopper production. CopperCopper is produced at the BHP CopperCopper SA SmelterSmelter based at Olympic DamOlympic Dam. The Electric Slag Cleaning FurnaceSlag Cleaning Furnace (EF) blisterBlister tapholeTaphole refractory materialsRefractory material and throughputThroughput variables are analysed to enable a safe increase in tapholeTaphole refractoryRefractories life. An increase in refractoryRefractories life results in the potential for more copperCopper throughputThroughput of the tapholeTaphole between planned maintenance periods. Alumina (Al2O3) refractoryRefractories with 30% chromium oxide (Cr2O3) (RK30SR) has been trialled in direct comparison to the existing Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 10% Cr2O3 (RK10SR) to determine whether there are advantages for either composition. Mineralogical analysisMineralogical Analysis on very small sample dimensions (i.e. size) has shown a potential advantage due to the higher amount of Cr2O3. Further investigation is advised to provide a sufficient sample size required to validate the results. The Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 30% Cr2O3 is 1.4× more expensive than the Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 10% Cr2O3 and therefore should only be implemented once additional throughputThroughput will be achieved. The previous 2020 target to increase the throughputThroughput of the EF blisterBlister tapholesTaphole by 40% using a new tapholeTaphole designDesign (Essack et al. in Blister tapping: increasing production with CFD. Santiago, pp. 655–665) installed in 2021 has been achieved with the existing lower Cr2O3 refractoryRefractories. The maximum allowable copperCopper tonnes tapped through the tapholeTaphole is the currentCurrent driver of downtime for refractoryRefractories replacementReplacement. The existing refractoryRefractories is sufficient to achieve another 20% improvement from the 2020 tonnes limit. At this point, the number of lances used to open the tapholeTaphole becomes the limitation for copper productionCopper production. Therefore, the impact of lance usage needs to be addressed as a priority with continuation of the refractoryRefractories trial once higher lance throughputThroughput is achieved, and any benefits expected from the Al2O3 refractoryRefractories with 30% Cr2O3 can be realised whilst in use.