Institute of Metallurgy of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia:

L. Yu. Udoeva, Senior Researcher

E. N. Selivanov, Director, e-mail: pcmlab@mail.ru

N. I. Selmenskikh, Researcher

Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin:

S. E. Klyayn, Assistant Professor

According to the flowsheet of autoclave processing of high-copper converter matte, designers of this technology offer the preliminary granulation of this intermediate product. The purpose of this work was to study the influence of method and mode of granulation on granulometric characteristics, phase composition and microstructure of particles. The test samples were manufactured from the converter matte melt, using the following methods:
— spraying of melt by water jet under the pressure;
— quenching of melt by discharging into water pool.
The melt temperature, used as indirect indicator of cooling rate, varied in the range of 1150–1300 °C. Screen fractionation and optical microscopy have shown that chemical composition and particle size of sprayed samples are sufficiently homogeneous, while quenched samples have a wide particle size distribution and high porosity. Phase composition and microstructure of samples were investigated by methods of metallography and X-ray structure microanalysis on the granules with –2.5+1.25 mm fraction. Two phases, which composition is closed to Ni₃S₂ and Cu_1.96S, were defined in sprayed samples. These phases form a fine dendrite structure. The samples of converter matte, obtained by discharge of melt into water, had ternary structure due to release of metallic phase (Cu – Ni solid solution), allocated inside pores and along the boundaries of sulfide phases. Influence of cooling rate on reactive capacity of granular converter matte was estimated by behavior of the test samples in the whole cycle of autoclave leaching, including three stages: atmospheric copper purification, autoclave oxidation leaching and refining of nickel-cobalt solution. In the event, extraction of Ni and Cu is increased with a rise of melt temperature, what makes it possible to carry out more efficient separation of metals during autoclave refining process. Results of the carried out investigations can be used for development of new technologies of hydrometallurgical processing of Cu – Ni sulfide alloys.

This work was carried out, according to the project of General Committee of Russian Academy of Sciences No. 12-P-3-1031 (12-П-3-1031).

1. Burukhin A. N., Galantseva T. V., Naftal M. N., Sushchev A. V., Shestakova R. D. Tsvetnye metally — Non-ferrous metals. 2000. No. 6. pp. 56–61.
2. Naftal M. N., Shestakova R. D., Galantseva T. V., Petrov A. F., Kozhanov A. L. Tsvetnye metally — Non-ferrous metals. 2000. No. 6. pp. 44–49.
3. Fokeeva I. G., Tsymbulov L. B., Ertseva L. N., Naftal M. N., Fomichev V. B. Tsvetnye metally — Non-ferrous metals. 2005. No. 7. pp. 42–46.
4. Moleva N. G., Vetrenko E. A., Kusakin P. S. Trudy Instituta Metallurgii Uralskogo filiala Akademii nauk SSSR — Proceedings of Institute of Metallurgy of Ural Branch of USSR Academy of Sciences. 1957. Iss. 1. pp. 99–102.
5. Kerfoot D. G. E., Raudsepp R. Upgrading cooper sulphide residues containing nickel and arsenic. Patent US, No. 5344479. Published : September 06, 1994.
6. Makwana M. M., Kerfoot D. G. E., Stiksma J. Process for upgra ding cooper sulphide residues containing nickel and iron. Patent US, No. 5993514. Published : November 30, 1999.
7. Chugaev L. V., Shneerson Ya. M., Berezkina N. A. Khimicheskaya tekhnologiya — Chemical Engineering. 2003. No. 12. pp. 18–24.
8. Udoeva L. Yu., Selivanov E. N., Kozhanov A. L., Naftal M. N., Selmenskikh N. I. Tsvetnye metally — Non-ferrous metals. 2008. No. 10. pp. 41–43.
9. Udoeva L. Yu., Selivanov E. N., Gulyaeva R. I., Vershinin A. D. Metally — Metals. 2012. No. 5. pp. 3–9.
10. Selivanov E. N., Nechvoglod O. V., Mamyachenkov S. V. Khimicheskaya tekhnologiya — Chemical Engineering. 2010. No. 11. pp. 683–687.
11. Selivanov E. N., Gulyaeva R. I., Udoeva L. Yu., Verchinin A. D. The effect of the microstructure on oxidation of sulfide-metal alloys of cooper and nickel. Defect and Diffusion Forum. 2011. Vol. 312–315. pp. 306–311.
12. Naboychenko S. S., Nichiporenko O. S., Murashev I. B. et al. Poroshki tsvetnykh metallov : spravochnik (Powders of non-ferrous metals : reference book). Moscow : Metallurgiya, 1997. 542 p.
13. Miroevskiy G. P., Golov A. N., Ivanov V. A., Maksimov V. I., Kravtsova L. N., Ertseva L. N. Tsvetnye metally — Non-ferrous metals. 2001. No. 2. pp. 30–35.
14. Chizhikov D. M., Gulyanitskaya Z. F., Gurovich N. A., Pliginskaya L. V., Subbotina E. A. Elektrometallurgiya medno-nikelevykh sulfidnykh splavov v vodnykh rastvorakh (Electrometallurgy of copper-nickel sulfide alloys in water solutions). Moscow : Nauka, 1977. 264 p.
15. Vydysh A. V., Naftal M. N., Petrov A. F. Tsvetnye Metally — Non-ferrous metals. 2005. No. 12. pp. 38–41.