Laboratory of pyrometallurgy of heavy non-ferrous metals

Main achievements:

A theory has been developed on liquid-phase oxidation processes of metal sulfides and the reduction of pure metal oxides as well as oxide melts;
A theory of the fluxing properties of silicate ores and slags from copper smelting production has been developed;
The “KIVCET” method for smelting copper-zinc concentrates and process products was developed and implemented at the Irtysh Polymetallic Combine in collaboration with VNIItsvetmet;
In 1985, liquid bath smelting technology, developed jointly with MISiS, was introduced at the Balkhash Copper Smelting Plant. By 2004, the plant had completely switched to this technology;
A technology for processing liquid slags in a furnace with a coke filter was developed;
The use of liquid dump slags as flux in converting at the JSM (Zhezkazgan Smelter) has been implemented;
Work has been carried out to improve the quality of blister and anode copper at copper smelters in Kazakhstan (Zhezkazgan, Balkhash);
The reductive pyrometallurgical selection of refractory gold-bearing raw materials was developed and tested under industrial conditions;

Scientific and technical developments proposed for implementation:

Reductive pyrometallurgical selection of refractory gold-bearing raw materials (SPS process);
Methodology for evaluating the fluxing properties of silicate and silicate-lime materials for copper smelting conditions;
Technology for processing metallurgical slags in a furnace with a coke filter;
Technology of fluxless autogenous smelting;
Technology for converting copper mattes using man-made silicate-lime raw materials;
Technology for continuous converting of copper mattes in PS (Pierce-Smith) furnaces;
Technology for semi-autogenous smelting of high-grade copper concentrates to produce white matte or blister copper.

Main research directions:

Development of the physicochemical foundations of pyrometallurgical processes;
Development of new technologies in the field of pyrometallurgy for heavy non-ferrous and precious metals;
Pyrometallurgical processes for processing polymetallic raw materials;
Processes for processing liquid metallurgical slags;
Optimization of metallurgical slag compositions using various fluxing materials;
Development of pyrometallurgical and integrated technologies for processing oxidized, low-grade, and man-made raw materials;

Production and scientific connections of the laboratory:

LLP “Kazakhmys Corporation”; LLP “Kazzinc”; Mansfelder Kupfer und Messing GmbH (Germany); Engineering & Research Institute of Nonferrous Metallurgy (China); Helwan Non-Ferrous Metals Company, Tabbin Metallurgical Institute (Egypt); JSC “Almalyk MMC” (Uzbekistan); Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (Israel); University of Queensland (Australia); research institutes of the Republic of Kazakhstan and CIS countries.

The staff of the laboratory:

The group consists of six members, including:

1 academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
1 Doctor of Technical Sciences;
1 PhD;
1 Master of Technical Sciences;
1 PhD doctoral candidate;