Review of International Experience in Substantiating the Technology of Smelting Copper Sulfide-Containing Concentrates Taking into Account the Criteria of Efficiency, Cost Effectiveness, and Environmental Friendliness

The review, based on the publications by both Russian and international researchers, presents an analysis of the problems of existing technologies for smelting copper concentrates. Three main problems requiring solutions were identified and considered: increasing the efficiency of smelting copper sulfide-containing ores by reducing the copper content in slags obtained during the conversion process; increasing efficiency, including by obtaining an additional economic effect from waste disposal; and reducing the harmful impact on the environment. It was established that trends towards the development of new efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective technologies are characteristic not only of the selected research object but also of a number of other nonferrous metals, such as lead and zinc.