NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

TCE 5107 – ADVANCED MINERALS ENGINEERING
TUTORIAL 03 – 15/10/2019

Qn.1

Consider a blast furnace which is charged with iron ore coke and flux of the following
composition:
Iron ore (weight %): Fe2O3 =78%, SiO2 8.4%, MnO = 0.6%, Al2O3=5.0%,
P2O5 = 1.7%, MgO = 1.2% and H2O=5.1%
Coke (weight %): C=88%, SiO2 =9%, Al2O3 =1% and H2O = 2%
Flux: CaCO3=96 %, MgCO3 =2% and SiO2 =2%
Pig iron analyses (weigh percent %): Fe = 92.7%, C = 4% Si = 2%, P = 0.9% and Mn = 0.4%
The coke rate is 900kg/ton of pig iron.
During smelting 99.5% of Fe is reduced and 0.5% is slagged.
The CO/CO2 ratio in the top gas is 2/1

Calculate:
i) Weight of iron ore

ii) Weight and composition of slag

State your assumptions clearly

Qn. 2

In a copper ore, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is 34%, pyrite (FeS2) is 30% and SiO2 is 36%

i) Determine the % Cu and % gangue in the ore

ii) What % Fe in the ore concentrate is to be removed to make 40% matte? Consider Cu 2S
iii) If only excess S is eliminated in the ore concentrate, what is the composition of the
resulting matte?

Qn. 3

A copper converter is charged with 20 tonnes of matte and blown down to blister copper.
The copper grade of the matte is 46%, the flux used carries 4% Cu 2S, 16% FeS and 80% SiO2.
The slag carries 29% SiO2. Assume no loss of copper in slag. Air is supplied at a rate of 90
m3/min.
Calculate:
(i) The total weight of flux and slag produced.
(ii) The quantity of blast air required for the entire blow.
(iii) The time required for each stage.