The Kyshtym Copper Electrolytic Plant introduces new equipment in the vitriol production department
The first stage of the production chain is radically changing – the process of sulfuric acid neutralization and increasing of copper content in electrolyte. Since the department establishment in 1994, this process has been carried out using copper powder. Which is produced by the plant copper-smelting department. The electrolyte is pumped into three available neutralization tank, and copper powder is also loaded here. The mixture is heated, sulfuric acid is neutralized, the solution reaches certain parameters – and then is sent to a vacuum evaporator for vitriol crystallization.
Over the years, the technology has been perfected to the smallest detail and did not cause any doubts. But the Russian Foil Company decided to transfer the anode smelting department from Kyshtym to JSC Karabashmed. This means that the production of copper powder for the needs of the vitriol department will also stop. KMEZ chose not to look for a third-party supplier, which would lead to higher product prices, but to find and implement a new production scheme. The clue was found in a Tankhouse that is currently under construction, where copper dissolving devices are used. Such equipment turned out to be quite suitable for obtaining vitriol. The raw material for it, instead of powder, was copper wire rod, produced here on the plant.
Two copper dissolution devices were manufactured at Remservice LLC. Specifically for these devices, the plant purchased a new gas cleaning unit in Novosibirsk. To start it up, the developer company specialists – Evgeniy Naumov and Maxim Ryndych came to JSC KMEZ. Under their supervision, the plant workers connected the equipment and started testing.
— The special feature of our unit is that it does not have traditional filters: no cloth for solid particles capturing, no coal. “The role of the filter is played by ordinary water” — explains ServiceSnabKomplekt LLC service engineer Evgeniy Naumov.
The new equipment has many advantages. Maksim Ryndych told us about them. According to him, the system is equipped with a self-diagnostic program. It, without outside intervention, identifies troubles and displays a message on the monitor: «You have a malfunction – the gas duct is clogged.» Such diagnostics facilitate the work of both maintenance and repair personnel. In addition, the equipment has a good enough reserve, which means it is very reliable. At almost all stages, there are elements that back up and support each other: two feed pumps in the cleaning unit, two fans in the gas duct, and so on.
The frequency drive system provides energy savings, and the filtering media — water — is changed automatically. As soon as the water reaches certain parameters of acidity, the unit changes it to fresh water and provides the purity of the exhaust gases.
“The equipment can be controlled in three modes: manual, automatic and remote, that is, from a distance,” says Maxim Ryndych. “Our construction, no matter how highly organized and complex it may be, is very easy to use. We strive to ensure that only two commands depend on a person: «start» and «stop». All other decisions must be made by the equipment.”
Experts from Novosibirsk claim that the degree of waste gases purification on their equipment reaches 99 percent. Today both the copper dissolution device and the unit are operating in the commissioning mode. As the Chief Technologist of the Tankhouse Evgeniy Samsonov said, metallurgists select the optimal parameters. After the system reaches its full capacity and proper quality, the neutralizers will be gradually withdrawn from operation, and another, third copper dissolution device will appear in the department. The new gas cleaning unit is designed for it as well.
Over the past few years, this is already the fifth filter for the environment and the working area air-cleaning, which has been installed at the plant. In 2018, German equipment was installed at the main copper-smelting unit of the plant – on the MAERZ furnace. Later, the Precious Metal Refining Department was equipped with a filter; a testing area of the Central Plant Laboratory was equipped with a scrubber and a dust collector; a Copper Rod Production Department with a soot cleaning system. KMEZ purposefully solves environmental problems and cares about the health of Kyshtym residents.
