Pascal Coursol

• Glencore

The present work has been performed with the aim to optimize the existing process for the production of high purity bismuth (99.999 pct). A thermo-chemical database including most of the probable impurities of bismuth (Bi-X, X = Ag, Au, Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, Si, Te, Zn) has been constructed to perform different thermodynami...

After a marked improvement in energy consumption in copper smelting during the past few decades, technology development has been slowing down in the Americas and in Europe. Innovation, however, is still required to further reduce energy consumption while complying with stringent environmental regulations. The bottom blowing smelting technology bein...

During the last decade, important improvements have been made in the application of thermodynamic models for studying the molten cryolite system used in the Hall–Heroult process. This approach allows a better understanding and paves the way for furthering developments in bath chemistry and molten metal processing. In this article, thermodynamic mod...

In the quest to achieve the highest metal recovery during the smelting of copper concentrates, this study has evaluated the minimum level of soluble copper in iron-silicate slags. The experimental work was performed under slag-cleaning conditions for different levels of Fe in the matte and for a range of Fe/SiO2 ratios in the slag. All experiments...

Flash furnace matte at the Chagres smelter in Chile is converted to blister copper in Peirce-Smith converters. The produced slag from each of the two slag blows is transferred to the slag cleaning furnaces (along with flash furnace slag) for cleaning prior to discharge, while the high copper slag from the copper blow is recirculated back to the con...

The Alouette aluminium smelter at Sept-Iles, Quebec wascommissioned in 1992 with a nominal capacity of 215,000 tonnesper year based on AP30 cells operating 264 pots at 300 kA. Sincethat time, the plant has expanded considerably, and in 2005 a newpotline of 312 pots was added plus an 18 pots test section. Thecells currently operate slightly over 370...

The performance of pyrometallurgical slag cleaning furnaces at many primary copper smelters is dependent in part on the quality of the converter slag, commonly produced in the batch-wise Peirce Smith converter (PSC). In order to understand the impact of converter slag chemistry and at the same time help optimize the converter operation, thermodynam...

Aluminerie Alouette is one of the largest Aluminium Smelter in the world and produces several grades of metal purity. This year, a project was initiated with the goal of improving the predictability of the aluminium grade produced. The approach is to develop an additional tool for guiding the operation staff in taking the best operational decisions...

The Alouette aluminium smelter at Sept-Iles, Quebec was commissioned in 1992 with a nominal capacity of 215,000 tonnes per year based on AP30 cells operating 264 pots at 300 kA. Since that time, the plant has expanded considerably, and in 2005 a new potline of 312 pots was added plus an 18 pots test section. The cells currently operate slightly ove...

Thermodynamic modelling was used in conjunction with the results of a sampling campaign to investigate the liquidus temperature and the copper losses in slag from the Teniente converter (TC) and from the slag cleaning electrical furnace (EF) at the Paipote smelter in Chile. The present paper (Part 1) describes the smelter flow sheet and discusses t...

The energy consumption for aluminum production by the Hall-Héroult process has been significantly improved during the last few decades. This has been achieved mainly as a result of improved cell design and suitable process control strategies that have allowed higher cell currents and smaller anode-cathode distance (ACD). Without taking suitable cor...

The Kidd Creek smelter of Xstrata Copper, in operation since 1981, employs the Mitsubishi Process. This continuous smelting process utilizes the unique three furnace system consisting of the smelting furnace (S-Furnace), the slag cleaning furnace (CL-Furnace) and the converting furnace (C-Furnace). The present paper focusses on the slag and matte c...

Xstrata Nickel's Sudbury smelter operation is based on fluid bed roasting of Ni-Cu sulphide concentrate, followed by electric furnace reductive smelting and Peirce-Smith converting to produce a Bessemer matte for electro refining, along with sulphuric acid produced from smelter gas. While the site dates back to the 1930s, the present smelter config...

In recent years, the Kidd Creek copper smelter has started treating significant amounts of externally sourced concentrates as a consequence of a reduction in local mine production. Flexibility in utilizing various feed materials is key to maintaining and improving profitability as a custom smelting operation. Several projects are underway to improv...

Exploratory laboratory-scale tests were performed in order to identify the solid phases present in the Ca2SiO4-Ca3(AsO4)2 binary system and in the Ca2SiO4-Ca3(AsO4)2-CaSO4-CaO system. A microanalysis study from slow-cooled samples suggests the presence of at least two intermediate phases. These compositions correspond to Ca5(AsO4)2(SiO4) (1:1) and...

The phase diagram of the CaSO4-Na2SO4-Ca3(AsO4)2-Na3(AsO4) system was measured by differential thermal analysis and by an equilibration and quenching technique. Thermodynamic models were developed giving the Gibbs energies of all phases as functions of temperature and composition. Optimized model parameters were obtained by assessment of all availa...

The phase diagram of the CaSO4-Ca-3(AsO4)(2)-CaO system was measured by differential thermal analysis and by an equilibration and quenching technique. A thermodynamic model was developed giving the Gibbs energy of every phase as a function of temperature and composition. A new ternary compound was observed with a composition near Ca5As2SO13. The Mo...

Thermodynamic calculations for the volatilization of arsenic and lead from molten copper at high oxygen level were performed using available thermodynamic data. It was observed that the oxygen level in copper influences lead volatization. It was also observed that the PbO vapor dominates over the Pb vapor when the molten copper contains more than 0...

In this study, an alternative approach is proposed to remove oxygen from blister copper through copper oxide formation. The addition of fluxes promotes both the copper oxide formation and oxygen reduction in molten copper. Fundamental aspects of this proposed process are described in this article. Three different fluxes (Na2O-SiO2, CaO-Na2O, and Fe...

The phase diagram of the CaSO4-Na2SO4-CaO system was measured by differential thermal analysis and by an equilibration and quenching technique at compositions from pure CaSO4 to pure Na 2SO4 and up to CaO saturation. Results show that earlier reported values of the melting point of pure CaSO4 may have been too low due to the partial decomposition o...

The phase diagram of the CaSO4-Na2SO4-CaO system was measured by differential thermal analysis and by an equilibration and quenching technique at compositions from pure CaSO4 to pure Na2SO4 and up to CaO saturation. Results show that earlier reported values of the melting point of pure CaSO4 may have been too low due to the partial decomposition of...

The phase diagram of the CaSO4-Ca3(AsO4)2-CaO system was measured by differential thermal analysis and by an equilibration and quenching technique. A thermodynamic model was developed giving the Gibbs energy of every phase as a function of temperature and composition. A new ternary compound was observed with a composition near Ca5As2SO13. The Modif...

A new method for simultaneously removing oxygen and sulfur from blister copper by adding sodium carbonate is described in this article. The main factors influencing the thermodynamics of the reaction, such as temperature, composition of the blister copper, and carbonate/sulfate salt ratio are presented with the help of phase diagrams. The results o...

The liquidus surfaces of the Cu2O-CaO, Cu2O-Na2O, and Cu2O-CaO-Na2O phase diagrams in equilibrium with metallic Cu were measured by thermal analysis at compositions varying from approximately 0 to 35 wt pct Na2O and 0 to 15 wt pct CaO. Solubilities in the solid binary terminal solutions were also measured by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometer...