Yunnan Copper Co. Ltd.

and Xstrata
Technology.
 Company Introduction
Founded in 1958,Yunnan Copper Smelting & Processing Complex is
located in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, P.R China. In 2002, the
Technical Renovation Project of ISASMELT Furnace system was
commissioned to take the place of Updraft Sintering-Ore-heated
Electric Furnace system. It is capable of producing 460,000 tpa of
copper cathode, 100,000 tpa of copper wire rod for electrical
purpose, 650,000 tpa of industrial sulfuric acid, 400 tpa of
silver and 11 tpa of gold. As one China Famous Brand Product,
“Tie Feng” brand of high purity of copper cathode, major product
of YCC, has been listed LME and Shanghai Non-ferrous Metals
Exchange.“Tie Feng” brand of industrial sulfuric acid, copper
wire rod for electrical purpose, gold and silver have been honored
as China Famous Brand Product too. The smelting process comprises
Feed Preparation, ISASMELT Furnace, Electric Furnace, Converter,
Anode Furnace, Copper Refinery.
 1.Feed Preparation
There is one flux bin, two indoor concentrate bin , and two
open storage houses. The maximum volume of storage houses is
80,000 tones. Feed Preparation Plant mainly use 8 grab crane for
unloading, preparation and transportation of the material.
 2.ISASMELT Process
YCC ISASMELT Plant Building is in 66 meters of vertical height.
In ISASMELT Plant Building, there is one ISASMELT Furnace with
4.4m of internal diameter and 13.7 m of height.
 3. Electric Cleaning Furnace
Process
Transformed from original ore-heated electric furnace, the
Electric Cleaning Furnace is used for separation of molten mixture
of matte and slag, and slag cleaning of converter slag. The
electric furnace is in 22.9 meters long, 5.81 meters wide and 4.1
meters high.
 4. Converter Process
There are 3 converters with capacity of 60 tons, and two
converters with capacity of 100 tons in converter process. The
size of the 60 tons converter is 3.66 m in diameter and 8.1 m in
length; The size of the 100 t converter is 4 m in diameter and
11.7m in length.
 5. Anode Furnace
Process
There are two stationary anode furnaces and two rotary
furnaces. Among them, the area of the hearth for the 180 t
stationary anode furnace is 28 m2; 350t anode furnace is in 4.6 m
of diameter,12 m of length.
 6. Tankhouse Process
Tankhouse process comprise Isa Process and conventional process. The
production capacity of the conventional process is 280,000 tpa, and
production of Isa process is 180,000 tpa.
 ISASMELT™ Safety
■ To avoid slag foaming, the content of magnetite in ISASMELT
furnace is controlled between 6 to 8.5%.
■ At present, there are two set of diesel generators standing by
for case of power failure.
■ There is one cooling water pump connected to a emergency power
source. During normal operation, two cooling water pumps are
duty, another two for standing by;
■ Cooling copper elements for ISASMELT furnace are also cooled by
compressed air;
■ One emergency water cooling system stand by;
■ The water pump for waste heat boiler is connected with emergency
power source.
 Smelter Flowsheet

备料
e d p re p a ra tio n 制酸
A c id m a kin g
制粒
G ra n u la tio n
转炉渣返电炉
C o n ve rte r sla g b a c k to e le c tric a lfu rn a c e
艾萨熔炼
ISA sm e ltin g
阳极炉精炼
冰铜 及浇注阳极
C o p p e r m a tte P S转炉吹炼 A n o d e fu rn a c e
炉渣Sla g
P S C o n ve rte r a nd a no d e c
电炉贫化
Ele c tric a lfu rn a c e sla g c le a n in g c o n ve rtin g

渣场堆放
Sla g ya rd
电解精炼
Ta n kh o u se re fin e ry
 Plant Downtime Distribution
Parameter参数 Unit 单位 1-6/2010 3/2011-4/2012
Total总计 小时/年 1189 514.18
Pelletiser/Agglomerator/Mixer 制粒机/制团机
1.53
／混料机 小时/年
Feed System Other 加料系统其它部分 小时/年 7.93
Furnace 炉子 小时/年 20
Melting Accretions 熔炼结瘤 小时/年
Lance 喷枪 小时/年 48 3.60
Launder clean/rebuild 溜槽的清洗和重砌 小时/年
Tapping 排放 小时/年 19.73
WHB Water Leaks 余热锅炉漏水 小时/年
WHB Other and Roof 余热锅炉其它部分和炉
小时/年 785 32.07
顶
EF/RHF Full 电炉/回转式保温炉满 小时/年 12.13
Oxygen Plant 氧气厂 小时/年 7.67
PS Converters PS转炉 小时/年
Planned Maintenance 计划维护 小时/年 376.28
Acid Plant 酸厂 小时/年 7.15
Other 其它 小时/年 337 19.08
 计
划
停

0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
产

400 376
硫 氧站
酸
系

8
电 统
收

7
水 尘
系

1
统

2
电
炉

12
风 备料
机

8
喷 系统
枪
锅 系统 3
炉
排 系统
制 放系
粒 统
机
31 32 20

皮 系统
带
2

仪 系统
表
系
7

DC 统
S
0

电 系统
0

阻 器系
溅 统
板
系
1
Downtime Evaluation Chart

统
6
 Plant Design Improvements
(1)
Modification on transformer for electric cleaning furnace.
The transformer was modified in the 2010 overhaul of electric
furnaceThe original model number of the transformer of electric furnace is
HDPFZ－10000/35, the rated capacity of which is 10000KVA. The model number
for the transformer of electric cleaning furnace is changed to HKDSPZ-
5000/35, the capacity is 5000kVA.
 Plant Design Improvements
(2)
Reconstruction of electric cleaning furnace & height adjustment of
matte/slag tapping hole
The electric furnace was modified into a new electric furnace in the
overhaul. The height of low slag tapping hole was adjusted from 1360 mm to
1435mm; The height of high slag tapping hole was adjusted from 1435 mm to
1510mm Matte tapping hole was adjusted from 550mm to 460mm.
 Plant Design Improvements
(3)
The types and thickness of bricks adjustment for ISASMELT furnace
The refractory bricks for layer of 72-99 used RADEX FGS COMPACT R1, the
thickness was changed from 350 to 450mm and 400mm.
 Plant Design Improvements
(4)
Modification of WHB

1.Replaced the first and second shaft, spattered the internal

surface of membrane.

2.The quantity of rappers is increased.

3.The angle in the heating surface of the bottom of connection

section was improved;
Plant Design Improvements
(4)
ISASMELT™ Operating Parameters
Parameter 参数 Unit单位 5/2010 5/2012
Availability 作业率 % 96
Concentrate 精矿 t/h 110 95
Silica 二氧化硅 t/h 4.2 4.86
Reverts 返料 t/h 5 5
Coal/Coke 煤/焦炭 t/h 4 4.08
Recycled dust 回收烟尘 t/h 1.2 1.2
Other Furnace Feed 其它炉料 t/h
Target moisture in furnace feed 11—11.5
炉料的目标水分 %
Lance life 喷枪寿命 days 7 6
Steam Production 蒸汽产量 tph 40 38
Cu in Feed 物料含Cu % 22.5 19.82
Matte grade Target 目标冰铜品位 % 55 57
3
Total lance flow 喷枪总流量 Nm /h 31680 31320
Lance oxygen enrichment 喷枪富氧 % 60 58.19
Bath temperature熔池温度 oC 1180 1178
 Feed Preparation
Mixture of concentrate is blended and then feed into pelletizer for pelletizing into
pellets. The rate of pellets is around 70%, the fluctuation of feedrate is required less
than 5t/h.
 Refractory Campaign Life Chart

34
Refractory Campaign Life Chart (month)

33
耐火材料寿命（月）

32
31
33.5
30
29
28
27
28 28.5
26
25
1 2 3
炉期
Campaign
用户：

炉期号： 耐火材料的磨耗
磨耗测量日期

后
燃
Post-combustion 保
Port 烧
温
Holding Burner Entry
孔 Position
烧
加 嘴
Feed Port 孔
料
孔

标注加料孔，后燃烧孔和保温烧嘴入孔位置
 The Corrosion Condition for Firebricks in the First to Three
Campaigns for Isa Furnace

第一炉期（停炉实际测量数据） 第二炉期（计算得出数据）
第三炉期（停炉实际测量数据） The second campaign (from calculation)
500 The second campaign (actual measurement data during furnace shutting down)

The third campaign (actual measurement data during furnace shutting down)
450
耐火砖厚度（mm）

400

350

300
of firebricks (mm)
The thickness

250
1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101 106 111
周 Weeks
 ISASMELT™ Lance Life Charts

平均喷枪使用寿命（天） 喷枪使用寿命（天）

10 Average life (days) Actual life (days)

9
8
喷枪使用寿命（天）

7
6
Lance Life (days)

5
4
3
2
1
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
 ISASMELT™ Lance Bending

Typical Direction
of Lance Bending
喷枪弯曲
典型方向
Holding
保温烧嘴
后燃烧孔
Post-combustion Port Burner Entry
入孔
Position

加料孔
Feed Port

喷枪弯曲的典型方向为正东向及东向偏南
Typical Direction of Lance Bending is east and east by south.
Typical Photographs of
Worn Lances
 WHB Performance -
Accretion
余热锅炉性能——结瘤

余热锅炉炉顶

The accretion in the third section is serious, the speed for accretion is quick.
三烟道结渣较为严重，结渣速度快
WHB Performance Leaks
The upper part of the first flue
 Existing Problems
1. The quality of materials is degrading, low Copper and sulfur and high
impurities in Isa feed. It is difficult to maintain heat balance of Isa Furnace.
In 2011,The average copper in feed is only 19.82%, the content of MgO, Pb,
Zn is increasing. This produce the adverse effect on Isasmelt process.
Feed Composition（%）
Month Cu Fe S SiO2 CaO MgO Al2O3 As PbO ZnO
Feb. 19.58 26.29 25.21 12.47 0.99 0.43 1.63 0.37 0.58 0.67
Mar. 19.97 25.51 24.02 12.82 1.23 0.46 1.67 0.30 0.54 0.72
Apr. 18.55 25.62 23.09 13.28 1.67 0.75 1.64 0.38 0.68 0.88
May. 19.16 26.22 24.23 11.44 1.59 0.70 1.51 0.33 0.77 0.97
Jun. 19.79 25.62 24.07 11.19 1.36 0.50 1.51 0.34 0.73 1.28
Jul. 20.55 26.51 23.32 10.66 1.21 0.46 1.46 0.34 0.58 1.04
Aug. 22.37 24.78 23.15 10.59 1.26 0.49 1.49 0.34 0.81 1.33
Sep. 19.52 26.03 23.50 10.34 1.43 0.51 1.45 0.37 0.91 1.23
Oct. 18.00 26.34 22.97 11.77 1.99 0.55 1.65 0.43 0.60 0.75
Nov. 19.69 25.73 23.60 10.30 1.64 0.85 1.55 0.44 1.12 1.65
Dec. 20.89 24.80 23.57 10.50 1.35 0.80 1.19 0.40 1.42 1.79
Average 19.82 25.77 23.70 11.40 1.43 0.59 1.52 0.37 0.80 1.12
 Existing Problems
2.Serious Accretion in WHB
Since August 2011, the content of lead and zinc in feed for Isa furnace has been
increasing. Because the neutralization sludge generated in impure acid treatment process
had to revert back Isa furnace, the accretion in the third section is very serious and
the furnace enviroment is getting worse. Isa furnace was forced to lower feedrate or
shut down for cleaning accretions.
 Existing Problems
3. High Copper loss in Slag for Electric Cleaning Furnace
The content of copper in slag is not stable. Copper in slag is higher.
Since March 2012, the average copper content in slag is up to 0.94% and such
result in higher copper loss.

电炉渣含铜（%）
3 Copper in EF Slag (%)
2.5

2
%

1.5

0.5
1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115
 Existing Problems
4. Water Leakage for WHB
In 2010, at the end of third campaign of Isa furnace, the first section of WHB
frequently leaks. Isa furnace was shut down for a long time. In the forth campaign,
after the replacement of the membranes in the first section and second section, no water
leakage was observed in the fifteen operating months.
 Conclusion
YCC has been using Isasmelt process for ten years.
It has performed well as a whole. But, with
degrading of the quality for concentrate year after
year, Isasmelt process is confronting a difficult
problem that is how to treat the complex materials;
Besides, we need to further discuss and understand
how to improve the life of the Isa refractories, and
lower the copper content in the slag of electric
furnace, reduce the accident of water leakage for
WHB and so on.