Process innovations and sustainability in Finnish metallurgical industries

Abstract

Sustainability is a central issue in metallurgical processes due to their energy intensiveness and environmental impacts. The role of metallurgical industry in Finland is significant accounting for 12% of the value of exports. Meanwhile it is also responsible for 7% of CO 2 emissions. Sustainability has been in focus during the latest decennia. Foremost progresses in iron and steelmaking for energy saving and reduction of emissions are surveyed in this contribution. Ferroalloys smelting is a highly energy intensive process. Utilization of local low-grade chromite ore led to major technological advances including innovative agglomeration technique, closed smelting furnace with pre-heating and off-gas recovery contributing to high energy efficiency and low carbon footprint in ferrochrome production. In non-ferrous metallurgy developments in flash smelting for copper rose from a need of substantial reduction of energy consumption and SO 2 emissions. The focus was then set on energy efficient technologies with low carbon footprint, sulphur fixation and fugitive emissions. Oxygen in smelting, continuous converting, direct to blister and direct nickel matte smelting are the main achievements. The impact of novel technologies to global sulphur emissions and local environmental issues in the smelters has been considerable.

Experimental Approach to Matte–Slag Reactions in the Flash Smelting Process

“…The flash smelting is the dominant technology which accounts for about 43% of global copper production (Wang S et al 2019). Since introduction of the first Outokumpu Flash Smelting (FS) process in 1949, many academic and industrial research groups have contributed to the increased understanding as well as continuous development of the process (Liu et al 2019;Holappa et al 2017).…”

Estimation of the Expected Variability in the Quality of the Commodity Concentrate of the Gok Processing Plant When the Volume of the Mixing Hopper Changes

“…Значительное снижение производительности плавильных печей, работающих на неусредненном сырье, а также снижение степени извлечения ценных компонентов в процессе переработки являются основными предпосылками к усреднению качества добываемой руды и товарного концентрата [1][2][3], цель которого -вырав-нивание их химического и гранулометрического состава.…”

Method and Apparatus for Assessing the Properties of Slags

“…As indicated by laboratory tests, 11 to 16% of copper Cu alone can be present, [1,2] whereas, according to Madej and Kucharski, more than 9% Cu copper can be present in the converter slag [3]. Slag modification treatments are necessary not only for the recovery of copper.…”