LLC “Gipronikel Institute”, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

L. Sh. Tsemekhman, Adviser of Chief Executive Officer
L. B. Tsymbulov, Head of Laboratory of Metallurgy, e-mail: lbcym@mail.ru
R. A. Pakhomov, Junior Researcher of Laboratory of Metallurgy
V. A. Popov, Leading Researcher of Laboratory of Metallurgy

Current production and investigation data allow rather correct assessment of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron and sulfur behavior during the pyrometallurgical processing of various copper-nickel concentrates. At the same time, behavior of platinum and noble metals on main pyrometallurgical stages is still insufficiently investigated. There are shown the investigation results of distribution of platinum group metals (such as platinum, palladium, irridium, rhodium and ruthenium) in slag and matte of copper and nickel concentrates, depending on nonferrous metals content in matte. Mixture of copper and nickel concentrates was used for investigations, and its oxidation smelting was held in Tamman
furnace. There was defined the optimal content of copper and nickel in matte, when concentration of platinum group metals in matte is high, and their distribution coefficients have almost no changes (losses with slags are proportional to their content in matte). Thermodynamic model for assessment of distribution and extraction of nickel, copper and platinoids during copper-nickel raw material processing was developed using the software FactSage 6.3.1. This model shows a good convergence with experimental investigations data, which corresponds about its usability for forecast calculations, connected with distribution of non-ferrous and platinum metals between smelting products (slag and matte).

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8. Katri Avarmaa, Hannu Johto, Pekka Taskinen. Distribution of Precious Metals (Ag, Au, Pd, Pt, and Rh) Between Copper Matte and Iron Silicate Slag. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B. 2016. Vol. 47, No. 1. pp. 244–255.
9. Katri Avarmaa, Hugh O’Brien, Hannu Johto, Pekka Taskinen. Equilibrium Distribution of Precious Metals Between Slag and Copper Matte at 1250–1350 °C. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy. 2016. Vol. 1, No. 3. pp. 216–228.
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12. Tsemekhman L. Sh., Fomichev V. B., Ertseva L. N., Kaytmazov N. G., Kozyrev S. M., Maksimov V. I., Shneerson Ya. M., Dyachenko V. T. Atlas mineralnogo syrya, tekhnologicheskikh promyshlennykh produktov i tovarnoy produktsii ZF OAO GMK “Norilskiy nikel” (Atlas of minerals, technological industrial products and marketable products of the Polar Division of Norilsk Nickel MMC). Moscow : “Ore and Metals” Publishing House, 2010. 336 p.
13. Tsymbulov L. B., Knyazev M. V., Tsemekhman L. Sh. Dvukhzonnaya pech Vanyukova. Perspektivy primeneniya v tsvetnoy metallurgii (Two-phase Vanyukov furnace. Prospects of application in non-ferrous metallurgy). Tsvetnye Metally = Non-ferrous metals. 2009. No. 9. pp. 36–43.
14. Tsymbulov L. B., Knyazev M. V., Tsemekhman L. Sh. et al. Pilot testing of a process treatment of Ni-containing copper concentrate after high-grade matte separation resulting in blister copper production in two-zone Vaniukov furnace. Proceedings of the sixth international Copper-Cobre Conference, The Carlos Diaz Symposium on Pyrometallurgy. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 25–30, 2007. Vol. III, Book 1. pp. 397–409.
15. Tsymbulov L. B., Knyazev M. V., Tsemekhman L. Sh., Ryumin A. A., Maksimov D. B. Opytno-promyshlennye ispytaniya tekhnologii briketirovannogo medno-nikelevogo kontsentrata v dvukhzonnoy pechi Vanyukova (Pilot testings of the technology of briquetted copper-nickel concentrate in two-phase Vanyukov furnace). Tsvetnye Metally = Non-ferrous metals. 2008. No. 6. pp. 30–36.