Thermodynamic Metallurgical Analyses of a Sustainable Copper Production in Philippines

Abstract This paper provides the thermodynamic metallurgical analyses for the copper production of the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining (PASAR). Unlike the traditional processes, PASAR limits the amount of waste vaporization through utilizing sustainable mining. This involves the waste from manufacturing the by-products were further treated to reduce the impact of the plant operation to the environment. Additionally, the paper discusses in detail the processes used in the manufacture of the PASAR refinery’s main product – copper cathodes. The pyrometallurgical treatment of the concentrate feed starts with flash a melting process, where matte and slag are separated, followed by converting where the latter is blown with oxygen to remove impurities. The resulting blister copper is further refined via anode furnace and electrolysis, producing 99.99% purity copper. Subsequently, the paper describes the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that influence the respective compositions of the matte and slag in the said pyrometallurgical processes.