Furnace / Electrostatic Filters

As explained before, the flash smelting furnace’s gases, which are high in sulphur dioxide content, are cooled from 1,350 °C to 400 °C in a heat recovery furnace. As a result, high-pressure steam is produced, and is then used to generate electricity (approximately 20 to 25% of the complex’s total power, as said before), thus reducing the amount of power needed from off-site generator facilities. Because we make our own power and recover residual heat from other points of our manufacturing process, Atlantic Copper ranks among the world’s top smelting works in terms of low electricity consumption. Afterwards, the gases from the flash smelting furnace and converters, which carry solid particles, are dedusted in hot electrostatic filters before they are pumped to the gas cooling and scrubbing section. The cool, clean gas is then used in the acid plants.