Evaluation of nickel flash smelting through piloting and simulation

An extensive study of the nickel flash smelting process has been undertaken. It is aimed at the optimization of the burner design to improve the smelting performance and to increase the throughput of the rebuilt furnace. A design-based mathematical model was developed to simulate the operation of the four burners and the reaction shaft of the flash furnace at Western Mining Corporation Ltd.’s Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter. A modified single burner version of the model was validated against data obtained from the pilot plant at the Pyrometallurgical Research Centre (PRC) of the Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.’s Toyo Smelter. The approach taken involved experimental measurements of key process parameters in the pilot plant and detailed numerical simulation of the fluid flow, heat transfer, and combustion in the entire burner-shaft complex. Several burner designs have been tested experimentally at the pilot plant and theoretically through computer simulation. The main outcome of the study was the development of an experimentally validated mathematical model of the flash smelter providing a new powerful design tool. The insight gained about the process from the application of this tool led to the design of a more efficient nickel flash smelting process.