Talk:Flash smelting

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Needs some additinal info

Reading this article, one might think that Outokumpu was the only flash smelting technology out there. The INCO flash smelting technology is also currently practiced. Additionally, I'm not sure it's totally correct to cite fluidized bed reactor in the article. It makes it sound like there is two furnaces. And one more thing... the article seems to imply that all copper sulfide ores are processed by flash smelting (in Outokumpu furnaces no less), with a 50/50 split between flash smelter recovery and oxide copper recovery. Are you sure that there are currently no Noranda or other bath-type furnaces, nor any El Teniente, IsaSmelt, or other lance-type reactors operatings? You might want to check that out.BSMet94 (talk) 04:38, 8 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Outokumpu says "this process produces 50% of the world’s primary copper" [1].

The article on Copper extraction techniques says "chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) accounts for about 50% of copper production."

I have made a small tweak to the text. I am not quite sure that all sulfide ores are chalcopyrite. The one external link Metallugical Processes - Copper lists various smash melting techniques. I do not know if Outokumpu's 50% only includes its lisencees or all flash smelting technologies. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 08:13, 8 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

P.S. - Quoting from the same external link: "In flash smelting, the concentrate is dispersed into an air or oxygen enriched air stream and smelting and converting occurs while the concentrate is suspended in the air stream." I guess this qualifies for fluidized bed reactor or Fluidized bed combustion. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 08:50, 8 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No. Air (or oxygen enriched air), concentrate, flux, and sometimes additional fuel are dispersed into the inlet chamber of a flash furnace. This is not a fluidized bed. The roasting reactions take place simultaneously with the smelting process.BSMet94 (talk) 20:55, 28 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]