A4 Refereed article in a conference publication
Characterization of a Nickel Flash Smelter Refractory Material - The Effect of Thermal Gradient
Authors: Lehmusto J., Söyrinki S., Lagerbom J., Jokiaho T., Que Z., Määttä J., Hupa L., Huttunen-Saarivirta E., Lindgren M.
Editors: Alvear Flores Gerardo R. F., Fleuriault Camille, Gregurek Dean, Reynolds Quinn G., Joubert Hugo, Nicol Stuart L., Mackey Phillip J., White Jesse F., Nolet Isabelle
Conference name: TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Publishing place: Cham
Publication year: 2024
Journal: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series
Book title : Advances in Pyrometallurgy: Furnace Containment
Journal name in source: Minerals, Metals and Materials Series
Series title: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series
First page : 81
Last page: 88
ISBN: 978-3-031-50175-3
eISBN: 978-3-031-50176-0
ISSN: 2367-1181
eISSN: 2367-1696
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50176-0_6
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50176-0_6
Magnesia-chromite (MgCr2O4) spinel-based refractories are applied in nickel and copper flash smelting furnaces, where the refractories experience high temperatures but also thermal gradients due to the cooling of the walls. In the gas space, the refractories are subjected to an aggressive environment with high SO2 concentrations. Furthermore, the increased use of recycled material streams has introduced new reactive impurities, such as halides, to the process. Therefore, the interactions between the refractories and gaseous species as well as the related reaction mechanisms need to be understood. This study presents a comparison between as-received and spent refractories from a nickel flash smelting furnace to identify the reactive species and shed light on their reaction mechanisms. The thermal gradient over the refractory is expected to affect the microstructure and contribute to the diffusion of elements within the structure. Therefore, special attention was paid to the role of the thermal gradient in the abovementioned interactions.
