Gipronickel Institute LLC, St. Petersburg, Russia

S. S. Ozerov, Leading Researcher, Pyrometallurgy Laboratory, e-mail: OzerovSS@nornik.ru
D. M. Bogatyrev, Researcher, Pyrometallurgy Laboratory, e-mail: BogatyrevDM@nornik.ru
E. A. Ivanova, 2^nd category Engineer, Pyrometallurgy Laboratory, e-mail: IvanovaElAn@nornik.ru

Modern global trends in the development of metallurgy suggest the use of the most efficient technologies for processing mineral raw materials in existing production facilities. At the same time, such technological processes have asignificant internal resource regarding the increase in productivity due to the integration of advanced methods and techniques of operational control of a number of technological parameters (temperature, chemical composition of charge materials and obtained products, oxidation potential of the gas phase)int o the existing production. The data obtained in this way represent a necessary and objective base that allows for rational and timely management of the technological process. The relevance of the issue of ensuring operational control is confirmed by the presented production data on the mismatch of blast parameters of the Vanyukovfur nace of the MMC Norilsk Nickel`s Copper Plant and the composition of the loaded charge, which is one of the reasons for the fluctuation in the content of non-ferrous metals in the obtained products. It is known from the literature and production experience that the variability of the content of nonferrous metals is also a consequence of a violation of the feedback that occurs as a result of the significant duration of auxiliary technological operations. The article considers the methods of operational control of the composition of obtained products of pyrometallurgical production, involving the use of onstream laser optical emission spectrometers, X-ray fluorescence analysis, oxygen probes and mass spectrometers. The testing of these methods was carried out on a laboratory, large-scale laboratory and production scale on Vanyukov furnaces and anode furnaces of the MMC Norilsk Nickel`s Copper Plant. The obtained results confirm the possibility of using these analysis methods, which can serve as a basis for improving the existing process control systems.

1. Kosov Ya. I., Rumyantsev D. V., Popov M. S., Trofimov A. V. et al. Study of obtaining anhydrite from gypsum of technogenic origin and the possibility of its use in the production of filling mixtures for conditions of Talnakh mines. Stroitelnye materialy. 2023. No. 8. pp. 26–34.
2. Vasiliev Yu. V., Zotikov O. V., Platonov O. I., Tsemekhman L. Sh. Achievements and problems of industrial technology of sulphur production from metallurgical sulphurous gases. Tsvetnye Metally. 2015. No. 1. pp. 18–23.
3. Altushkin I. A., Korol Yu. A., Zavarin A. S. Production of sulfuric acid on “Karabashmed” JSC, using wet catalysis. Tsvetnye Metally. 2012. No. 10. pp. 25–52.
4. Platonov O. I., Tsemekhman L. Sh. Potential copper plant Vanukov furnace gas desulphurization capacity. Tsvetnye Metally. 2021. No. 1. pp. 19–25.
5. Dmitriev I. V., Krupnov L. V., Kudrin E. G., Petrov A. F. et al. Involving of aged pyrrhotine raw materials in autoclave oxidation technology of nickelpyrrhotine concentrates processing. Tsvetnye Metally. 2010. No. 6. pp. 70–73.
6. Alexander Ch., Johto H., Lindgren M., Pesonen L. et al. Comparison of environmental performance of modern copper smelting technologies. Cleaner Environmental Systems. 2021. Vol. 3. 100052. DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2021.100052
7. Yuan H.-B., Cai B., Song X.-C., Tang D.-Z. et al. Insight on the reduction of copper content in slags produced from the Ausmelt converting process. Journal of Mining and Metallurgy. 2021. Vol. 57, Iss. 2. pp. 155–162.
8. Vernigora A. S., Kazantsev A. N., Krasilnikov Yu. V., Milovanov M. F. et al. Analysis of Vanyukov furnace performance at JSC SUMZ to stabilize melting modes. Tsvetnye Metally. 2008. No. 3. pp. 24–29.
9. Vasilieva N. V., Fedorova E. R. Process control quality analysis. Tsvetnye Metally. 2020. No. 10. pp. 70–76.
10. Salikhov Z. G., Rutkovskiy A. L., Kovaleva M. A. Estimation of metallurgical processes and their status in optimal control problems. Tsvetnye Metally. 2020. No. 1. pp. 84–91.
11. Semenova I. N., Kirpichenkov I. A. Development of the control system for temperature conditions of melting process in the Vanyukov furnace. Tsvetnye Metally. 2009. No. 5. pp. 59–63.
12. Baryshnikov A. M., Gaft M. L. Application of a laser analyzer for on-line sorting mineral raw materials and stabilizing raw mixtures in the production of non-ferrous metals. Zhurnal Sibirskogo federalnogo universiteta. Tekhnika i tekhnologii. 2014. No. 7. pp. 327–338.
13. Tikhonov D. N., Mansurova N. R., Baryshnikov A. M., Isaenko G. E. et al. Experience of stabilizing the chemical composition of agglomerate using the MAYA online on-stream analyzer. Metallurg. 2013. No. 2. pp. 40–43.
14. Akselrod L. M., Zaitsev V. A., Sharov M. B., Savchenko A. V. et al. System for sorting raw magnesite at the crushing and beneficiation plant of JSC “Magnezit Plant” using the MAYA 6060-M2010 on-stream laser analyzer. Novye ogneupory. 2012. No. 11. pp. 21–24.
15. Sowerby B. D., Lim C. S., Tickner J. R., Manias C. et al. A new on-belt ele mental analyser for the cement industry. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 2001. Vol. 54, Iss. 1. pp. 11–19. DOI: 10.1016/S0969-8043(00)00180-9
16. Lim C. S., Sowerby B. D., Abernethy D. A. On-belt analysis of ash in coal. Coal Preparation. 2002. Vol. 22, Iss. 3. pp. 165–179. DOI: 10.1080/07349340213848
17. Lim C. S., Sowerby B. D. On-line bulk elemental analysis in the resource industries using neutron-gamma techniques. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 2005. Vol. 264. pp. 15–19.
18. Lakhtionov S. V., Chumakov I. S., Filinkov S. G., Chukin D. M. et al. Use of on-stream X-ray fluorescence analysis to determine the chemical composition of boring sludge. PRONEFT. Professionalno o nefti. 2021. No. 6. pp. 147–153.
19. Paderin S. N., Serov G. V., Shilnikov E. V., Alpatov A. V. Electrochemical control and calculations of steelmaking processes. Moscow: Izdatelskiy dom MISiS, 2011. 284 p.
20. Shilnikov E. V., Alpatov A. V., Paderin S. N. Thermodynamic analysis of oxygen behavior during out-of-furnace treatment of high-alloy steel 08Kh18N10T. Izvestiya vuzov. Chernaya Metallurgiya. 2013. Vol. 56, No. 11. pp. 19–24. DOI: 10.17073/0368-0797-2013-11-19-24
21. Shakirov M.K., Protopopov E.V., Zimin A.V., Turchaninov E.B. Forecasting the carbon content in the metal of the final period of blowing in an oxygen converter using a neural network. Izvestiya vuzov. Chernaya Metallurgiya. 2023. Vol. 66, No. 6. pp. 638–644. DOI: 10.17073/0368-0797-2023-6-638-644
22. Ozerov S. S., Tsymbulov L. B., Eroshevich S. Yu., Gritskikh V. B. Looking at the changing composition of blister copper obtained through continuous converting. Tsvetnye Metally. 2020. No. 12. pp. 64–69.
23. Pigarev S. P. Structure and properties of slags from the process of continuous converting of copper-nickel-containing mattes and concentrates: Dissertation … of Candidate of Engineering Sciences. Saint Petersburg, 2013. 209 p.
24. Sun Y., Chen M., Cui Zh., Contreras L. et al. Development of ferrouscalcium silicate slag for the Direct to Blister copper-making process and the equilibria investigation. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. 2020. Vol. 51. pp. 973–984. DOI: 10.1007/s11663-020-01817-9
25. Kandalam A., Reuter M. A., Steler M., Reinmoller M. et al. A review of top-submerged lance (TSL) processing — Part I: Plant and reactor engineering. Metals. 2023. Vol. 13. 1728. DOI: 10.3390/met13101728
26. Golov A. N. Research and development of environmentally friendly autogenous technology for processing low-iron rich copper concentrates to obtain copper of a given composition: Dissertation … of Candidate of Engineering
Sciences. Monchegorsk, 2001. 200 p.
27. Rigby A. J. Controlling the processing parameters affecting the refractory requirements for Peirce-Smith converters and anode refining vessel. Converter and Fire Refining Practices. The Minerals Metals and Materials Society. Warrendale, 2005. pp. 213–222.