Almalyk Branch of Tashkent State Technical University, Almalyk, Uzbekistan:

M. M. Yakubov, Professor at the Metallurgy Department, Doctor of Technical Sciences

Almalyk MMC JSC, Almalyk, Uzbekistan:
A. A. Abdukadyrov, Chief Engineer, Candidate of Technical Sciences

Tashkent State Technical University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Sh. A. Mukhamedzhanova, Associate Professor at the Metallurgy Department, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: shoira.muhamet@gmail.com

O. M. Ekubov, Master’s Student of the Metallurgy Department

This paper demonstrates a possibility to recover non-ferrous and precious metals from copper slags and zinc production waste clinker generated by Almalyk MMC. Thus, the zinc production waste clinker contains more than 50% of reducing elements in the form of metallic iron and carbon, as well as 1–10 g/t of gold and 100–750 g/t of silver. For the purposes of this study, clinker was used as a reductant for converter slag magnetite during depletion, as well as a source material for precious metals, which get recovered into matte as a result of depletion (reduction) and then into blister copper (up to 95%). The copper slags generated by Almalyk MMC contain 2.0 to 3.5% of copper. They should go through a reverberatory furnace so that valuable components could be extracted, including 75% of copper. However, after a Vanyukov furnace was introduced in the copper production circuit, a certain part of converter slags is sent back to the concentrator plant for the production of sulphide copper concentrate. In this case, the total recovery of blister copper from converter slag does not exceed 50%. In order to raise the reverberatory furnace recovery of copper from converter slag to 83% and to raise the recovery to 75% in case converter slag gets concentrated and the resultant concentrate is then smelted in the reverberatory furnace and converter, converter slags should first go through reduction processes.

1. Gabasiane T. S., Danha G., Mamvura T. A., Mashifana T., Dzinomwa G. Environmental and Socioeconomic Impact of Copper Slag — A Review. Crystals. 2021. Vol. 11. 1504. DOI: 10.3390/cryst11121504.
2. Bellemans I., De Wilde E., Moelans N., Verbeken K. Metal losses in pyrometallurgical operations — A review. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. 2018. Vol. 255. pp. 47–63.
3. Sanakulov K. Science and technology of mining and metallurgical waste processing. Tashkent : Fan, 2009. 404 p.
4. Gabasianea T. S., Danhaa G., Mamvuraa T. A., Mashifanab T., Dzinomwa G. Characterization of copper slag for beneficiation of iron and copper. Heliyon. 2021. Vol. 7, Iss. 4. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06757.
5. Sanakulov K. S., Kadyrov A. A. Strategy for long-term innovative development of Kyzylkum Region. Cologne : Artem, 2021. 408 p.
6. Bolshina E. P. High technology in metallurgy. Part 1. Non-ferrous metals production. Novotroitsk : NF MISiS, 2008. pp. 13–14.
7. Yusupkhodzhaev A. A., Khozhiev Sh. T. Autogenous processing of sulphide copper concentrates: Current status and prospects. Innovative development of science and education: Research papers of 10^th International Conference. 10 March 2020, Penza. Penza, 2020.
8. Tsemekhman L. Sh., Paretskiy V. M. Modern processing techniques for copper-nickel sulphide concentrates: A review. Tsvetnye Metally. 2020. No. 1. pp. 24–31. DOI: 10.17580/tsm.2020.01.04.
9. Vanyukov A. V., Bystrov V. P., Vaskevich A. D. Bath smelting. Moscow : Metallurgiya, 1988. 208 p.
10. Altushkin I. A., Korol Yu. A., Bakin A. V., Krasilnikov Yu. V. Innovations in copper metallurgy by the example of a realization of a reconstruction project of “Karabashmed” JSC. Part 2. Experience of “Ausmelt” furnace development. Tsvetnye Metally. 2012. No. 8. pp. 35–41.
11. Bacedoni M., Moreno I., Ríos G. Copper Flash Smelting Process Balance Modeling. Metals. 2020. Vol. 10. 1229. DOI: 10.3390/met10091229.
12. Mukhametzhanova Sh. A., Yakubov M. M., Akhmedov Kh., Ekubov O. M. Developing an efficient process for producing concentrate from copper converter slag. Uzbek Chemical Journal. 2020. No. 4. pp. 58–65.
13. Kupryakov Yu. P. Copper smelter slags and their processing. Moscow : Metallurgiya, 1987. 200 p.
14. Sokolovskaya L. V., Kvyatkovskiy S. A., Kozhakhmetov S. M., Semenova A. S., Seisembayev R. S. Effect of Reducing Agent on Structure and Thermal Properties of Autogenous Copper Sulfide Concentrate Smelting Slags. Metallurgist. 2021. Vol. 65. pp. 529–537.
15. Dosmukhamedov N. K., Fedorov A. N., Zholdasbay Е. Е. Distribution of Cu, Pb, Zn and As between the products of the two-stage reduction depletion of high-copper slags. Tsvetnye Metally. 2019. No. 7. pp. 30–35. DOI: 10.17580/tsm.2019.07.03.
16. Vanyukov A. V., Zaytsev V. Ya. Theory of pyrometallurgical processes: Textbook for university students. 2nd revised edition. Moscow : Metallurgiya, 1993. 384 p.
17. Zaytsev V. Ya., Udalov L. K., Yakubov M. M., Genevska T. N. On possible use of Waelz clinker for slag depletion. Tsvetnye Metally. 1984. No. 4. pp. 19–23.