A smelter is a facility used to process or refine mining products such as mineral ores into pure metals or metal alloys. This process involves cleaning the metal minerals from impurities and refining them. The smelting process involves melting and separating the metal from its raw material, with the location where this process is carried out being the smelter.
Here are the general steps in the operation of a smelter:
- Preparation and processing of raw material:
The initial stage of smelting is the preparation and processing of raw materials, which are mineral ores. These ores contain the desired metal along with other minerals. The ores are reduced to smaller sizes through crushing and grinding. This stage also includes pre-smelting processes such as stripping, drying, or magnetic separation.
- Melting:
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- Furnace: the processed ores are then fed into a furnace, which uses high temperatures to melt the ores.
- Temperature and environment control: the temperature and environmental conditions are adjusted to allow the separation of the metal impurities or other minerals. Metals with lower melting points will melt first and be collected in liquid form.
- Separation of metal from slag and impurities:
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- Separation of liquid metal: after melting, the liquid metal is separated from the slag, which is the material formed from oxidized impurities that melt during the process. This separation is usually done through flotation or magnetic separation.
- Purification of metal: the separated liquid metal is then purified to increase its purity. This involves removing unwanted elements.
- Final purification:
If further purification is needed, the separated and purified liquid metal can undergo additional purification processes to achieve the desired level of purity.
- Use of production output:
Production output: the output of the smelter can be pure metals or metal alloys ready for use in various industries. Pure metals like copper, lead, and zinc can be used in manufacturing, construction, electrical equipment, automotive, and more.
It is important to note that the operation of a smelter varies depending on the type of metal being processed, the melting method used, and other factors such as the scale of operation and technology applied in the smelter.
Aldzama offers various services related to the smelting process in the industry, including providing necessary manpower, equipment, and even demolishing and installing refractory bricks in furnaces at the smelter.
Reference:
https://www.sucofindo.co.id/artikel-1/pertanian/pengujian-dan-analisis/cara-kerja-smelter/
