Copper Smelting and Refining at Kosaka Smelter

Abstract

Kosaka smelter started copper production in 1901 using blast furnace, and diversified into other products and metallurgical technologies that treated complex concentrates produced at black ore mine. Black ore is complex sulfide ore containing many valuable metals such as copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver. And main processes are composed of copper operation that consist of flash smelting furnace and PS converter, and lead operation using hydrometallurgical treatment plant and electric furnace.
However, social and economical situation changed worldwide in recent year, domestic black ore mines closed one after another and last black ore mine closed in 1994. But complex nature of black ore has made the capabilities to treat large variety of low materials and complex concentrate. And Kosaka smelter started restructuring measure to cope with this harsh business environment.
The cores of the plan were improving the performance of complex smelting technologies to precious metal production and expansions to recycling business and waste management business.
This paper introduces recent copper operation and describes about an outline of the modification.