Engineering firm solves feeding problem
A mining and metals company works with an engineering firm to improve a limestone-feeding system.
Xstrata Copper Canada, part of an international metals and mining company headquartered in Toronto, operates the Kidd Creek mine and metallurgical site in Timmins, Ontario. The company’s Kidd Metallurgical Site operates the metallurgical site, which consists of a concentrator plant, copper smelter and refinery, as well as zinc, cadmium, indium, and sulphuric acid plants. The site’s concentrator plant converts copper-bearing ores into copper concentrate (a fine powder that contains approximately 30 percent copper), and the copper smelter turns the copper concentrate into copper matte, which is then converted into blister copper. The blister copper is refined into anode copper and, ultimately, high-purity electrolytic copper cathode. One step in the copper-smelting process continuously injecting granular limestone into a converting furnace was challenging the company. To improve the limestone-injection system, the company worked with a local engineering firm.