CLIMAX GONVERSION PRACTICE II

by G. R. Grimes and G. Witkamp

The continued deveLopment of CLimax moLybdenite pneumatic vibrators in mounting brackets on the car
roasting practice is described since Last reported (tech- initiate flow, only intermittent use of the vibrators
nical publication No. 1718.) DetaiLs of the new Rotter- is required to complete the unloadmg operation.
dam roasting facility in operation since 1966 are Initially, the 23 Vz o incline proved troublesome. The
presented. Includes aLternate methods for dissipating concentrate in the hopper was supported by the belt
heat and considers means for increasing sulfur dioxide on closely spaced idlers. Depth of load feeding on to
concentration in roaster flue gas. Reports on improve- the belt was regulated by adjustment of a vertically
ments andyroduct quality control. moving gate. Intermittently, slippage developed be-
tween the belt and the concentrate. This interrupted
INTRODUCTION the feed to the belt, and formed a glazed coating of
A prior paper describing Climax Molybdenum Co. concentrate on the belt. When feed resumed, the load
conversion practice was presented by E. S. Wheeler on the belt frequently avalanched and spilled into the
in 1944.' With extensive plate and refractory replace- pit beneath the track hopper. Compacting the concen-
ment, the Nichols-Herreshoff furnaces in use at that trate onto the belt provided a temporary remedy.
time have remained in service. The operation, how- Idling the belt several hours was effective in remov-
ever, has been one of continued development and ing the coating. Substitution of an oil proof "Ruff Top"
modification. Air inlets and flue outlets have been belt having transversely and longitudinally cut
added, draft practice has changed, the feed system, grooves has provided an effective solution.
rabbles and the dust collection system have been im- In earlier years, a· 6-in. full pitch screw was used
proved, hearths are seldom "plowed'? control tem- to feed the furnace. This was always troublesome.
peratures are different, and production quality has Though the average particle size of the molybdenite
improved. concentrate approached 30 microns, it easily bridged
over the 6-in. screw. Even with constant attention,
CONCENTRATE HANDLING frequent feed failure was experienced. This was par-
Except for overseas conversion facilities, the Climax ticularly true if the concentrate contained more than
mine now ships molybdenite concentrate in 100 ton 1 or 2% water.
SHPX "center-flow" hopper cars. At Langeloth, these To accommodate mechanized handling of concen-
are discharged into a track hopper using an air lance trate to the roaster, a new feeder was designed. This
and two 4-in. model KOLSRR Cleveland pneumatic utilized two 9-in. variable pitch screws, one right hand
vibrators to promote flow from the car. A 30-in. wide and one left hand, in a feed hopper 6 ft long with
"Ruff Top" belt conveyor moves the concentrate up a shrouded discharge. The two ends of the feed hopper
23lh o incline to elevated storage floors. "Payload- are vertical, the sides are inclined 70° from the
ers", a type of front end loader, are used to distribute horizontal. A 1 hp motor, variable speed transmission,
the concentrate to the storage areas, and to move the helical gear unit, roller chain reduction, and mitre
concentrate to the roaster feeder. gears drive the feed screws at % to 1% rpm. The 9-in.
Several difficulties were experienced in developing feed screws discharge into a transverse 6-in. screw
bulk handling facilities. After transcontinental move- that conveys the concentrate into the furnace. The
ment, the concentrate is found packed solidly in the 6-in. screw is restricted to a short length and operates
car. Sledges and available car jolters arenot effective without a bearing at the discharge end. In the ten
in disiodging it. Fora number of years, a small pneu- years this feed system has been in use, it has operated
matic turbine was used to drill a 5-in. diameter hole dependably without attention.
up through the concentrate. Then working from the
top of the car, hand tools were used to enlarge the drill RABBLE IMPROVEMENT
hole until the concentrate broke loose and fed into the In the roasting operation, as the concentrate is con-
track hopper. Presently, after the combined action of verted to the oxide, abrasive properties develop. In
an air lance down through the concentrate and two some cases the abrasive wear is so severe that rabbles
were replaced after one week's service. Earlier a tech-
nique of "plowing" hearths was developed' as a means
G. R. GRIMES is manager-planning and development, Langeioth of extending furnace campaigns. This was practiced
Plant, Climax Molybdenum Co., Langeloth, Pa., a Div. of American on a weekly schedule. Development of composite rab-
Metal Climax, lnc. G. WITKAMP is monoging director, Climax
Molybdenum N.V., a subsidiary of American Metal Climax, lnc. bles2 using nitride bonded silicon carbide, "Refrax",
encased in metal has extended rabble life to as much

FEBRUARY 1971, JOURNAL OF METALS-17

as three years. This has eliminated any necessity for Multiclone dust collection units, an assembly of
regular application of the "plowing" technique. small diameter cyclones in parallel, replaced the
ROASTER REFRACTORY electrostatic collectors. Initially, units with 9-in. di-
High duty classification ASTM standard C27-60 re- ameter collecting tubes were installed; subsequently
fractory is used for the hearths and side walls of the units with 6-in. diameter collecting tubes wer~
Lange1oth roasters. While this has given generally ad~pted. Dust collection efficiency, however, re-
satisfactory service, two exceptions might be noted. mamed less than expected.
First, the shapes in the first and second hearth split Extensive testing in 1945 indicated that adding a
transversely with progressive sections %. to 1lh-in. second multiclone in series with the first would in-
thick dropping from the underside of the hearth. Sec- crease the overall dust collection to 90% of the
ondly, the center of some hearths tends to rise with detected dust load, if both multiclones were in effi-
time. This sometimes reduces rabble clearance to the cient operating condition. It is seldom however
extent that rabble blades must be shortened to elimi- that better than 70% has been realized.' Normally:
nate interference. Finally, replacement of the hearth the second stage unit collects about 20% as much as
is advisable. the first unit. Considered tagether, the overall collec-
Analysis of spall slabs from the second hearth Table tion efficiency and the distribution between stages
1, disclosed significant penetration and densiflcation indicate approximately 58% firststage and 23% sec-
by molybdic oxide. With microscopic examination, ond stage multiclone collection efficiency.
extensive filling of pores and microfractures was ob- Experience at the conversion plant indicates that
served. It is considered that this alteration of the re- the multiclones are easily fouled . when operated
fractory aggravated its spalling tendency when sub- below 340°F or above 750°F. Operating tempera-
jected to the thermal stresses associated with frequent tures between these extremes is preferred. When
opening of work doors. high temperatures are responsible for low multiclone
In consideration of Lange1oth experience, the super dust collection, efficiency is normally restored by
duty classification of ASTM standard C27 -60 was using an air lance on the vanes and a rod to open
used for the first and second hearths of the Rotterdam the cones. If unsatisfactory dust collection develops
furnace. With its higher density and lower porosity, it after a period of low multiclone temperature, it is
is expected to be less subject to alteration with con- usually necessary to remove the tubes and vanes,
sequent improvement in spall resistance in this appli- boil them in about one normal caustic solution and
cation. Suspecting that the rise in hearths might be dry them before reassembly of the multiclone.
caused by sulfating of the skew backs, a hard fired Multiclone efficiency increases with the draft loss
high duty classification of ASTM C27-60 was speci- across the unit. In view of this, the multiclone col-
fied for all skew back shapes, on the basis that they lection system has been designed to operate with 5-in.
would be more resistant to sulfating. draft lass across each multiclone, each multiclone
line being furnished with a fan to supply the re-
Whether these revisions are responsible, or whether
quired draft lass. A flue connecting the fan exhaust
other factors may have changed, there has been no
with the multiclone inlet permits sufficient gas to re-
spalling of refractory or movement of hearths after
circulate to compensate for variation in the flue
three years operation of the Rotterdam furnace. Core
gas from the roaster.
drilllog of side wall refractory, however has revealed
some discoloration indicating gas and solid diffusion Even with the best that could be obtained with
along the mortar joints. multiclone collection, metal loss remained high. A
review of the previous precipitator experience sug-
DUST COLLECTION gested that operable units could be designed. After
The concentrate is obtained from an ore body
an extended period of testing and investigation, elec-
averaging araund 0.2% molybdenum disseminated as
trostatic precipitation units were added to the dust
molybdenite in quartz intrusions of the native granite
collection train. With the addition of these units the
rock. Less than 25% of the concentrate is larger than
overall dust collection efficiency has improved to
325 mesh; possibly, 30% is less than 20 microns. When
98.5%.
oil free and absolutely dry at elevated temperatures,
it is easily airborne. ROTTERDAM CONVERSION FACILITY
With these properties, it is not surprising that In many respects the Lange1oth plant developed
significant quantities are carried by the flue gas without a plan. It started at a time when there was
leaving the roaster. Measurements have usually in- very little market acceptance of molybdenum; there
dicated this dust as 10 to 15% of the concentrate
charged into the furnace. It has in some cases, been as Table 1-Comparative spectrochemical analysis
high as 20%. Obviously, a high efficiency dust collec- high duty classification ASTM standard C27-60
tion system is imperative. refractory used in climax molybdenum roaster
An electrostatic precipitator was installed at
Unused Used
Lange1oth shortly after the first multiple hearth fur- Sillca (SiO,) 53% 43%
nace was erected in 1926. More electrostatic dust Alumina (Al.O.)
Titania (TiO,)
40
2.5
34
2.3
collection units were provided as additional furnaces Iron Oxide (Fe.O"l
Lime (CaO)
2.3
0.3
1.8
0.2
were erected in subsequent years. With disappoint- Magnesia (MgO) 0.4 0.4
Molybdenum (MoO,.) 19.0
ing collection efficiency and severe operating prob- Soda (Na,.())* 0.2 0.35
Potash (K.O) • 1.9 1.5
lems, electrostatic dust collection was abandoned as
• Alkalies by wet chemistry.
impractical prior to 1942.

18-JOURNAL OF METALS, FEBRUARY 197~

 DUST COUECIOR

Fig. 1-Solids hondling ond

product flow-Ciimox Mo -
lybdenum N.V., Rotterdom
rooster.
IECHNICAl
OXIDE
I INS

OFF · S,IC CONVEYOR

:j
DIUM TIANSFU

C~f

IETUIII CAN & DIUM

CONVEYOI FllliNG

was really no conception of conversion technique, The drums ordinarily contain 900-1000 lb of con-
and absolutely no conception of the ultimate ca- centrate; they are not packed to a constant weight.
pacity requirements. Like "Topsy", the Lange1oth The check weighing system incorporated with the
plant just grew. It was a process of rapid expansion, drum dumping train provides a printed record of
invention, modification, and in some cases just plain concentrate actually transferred to the roaster feed
trial and error. Despite these handicaps of origin bin. Additionally, the system provides assurance that
and restricted space, the Lange1oth plant generated intolerable weights of concentrate are not left in the
into an effi.cient unit always satisfying market re- drum. The operator's time can be effectively used
quirements. in moving the drums from storage to the supply
The Rotterdam conversion facility started with a conveyor, cleaning empty drums for reuse, disposing
clean slate, taking full advantage of Langeloth's expe- of the empty drums, and assisting in other Operations.
rience and technology. It is not, however, without in- For elevated storage of concentrate in the Rotter-
novations extending ideas that cannot be weil ap- dam area, piling foundations are required . .For stor-
plied in the economy and space restriction of units age at grade, floor or pavement slabs can be laid
already successfully operating. In some cases, new directly on the sand without expensive foundations.
solutions were found to old problems. In our view, Additionally, with the concentrate received in sealed
the resulting conversion facility represents the best drums, concentrate storage can be readily expanded
attained. to outside areas at grade level. These considerations,
and availability of the operator for other nearby
Feed to the furnace is regulated by the feed system assignment, dictated grade elevation for the drum
previously developed by Langeloth, but with two dumping train and the roaster feeder.
modifications. First of all, the concentrate is received The roaster feeder discharges into the boot of a
in 55 gallon steel drums. As with bulk shipments, positive, or perfect, discharge type elevator having
the concentrate is found packed solidly after inter- buckets mounted between two chains, and a counter
continental movement. Simple drum dumping equip- shaft in the head section that functions to fully invert
ment does not empty the drum; the drum must be the buckets over the discharge chute. The same type
hammered, jolted, or vibrated in some manner. To elevator has successfully handled molybdenite con-
meet these objectives and other considerations, spe- centrate at the Lange1oth plant since 1949.
cial equipment was designed for dumping the con- A 9-in. screw conveyor is used to convey the
centrate into the Lange1oth designed feeder. This roaster feed from the elevator discharge to the fur-
unit (Fig. 1) receives the drums of concentrate from nace. To provide adequate work clearance between
a roHer conveyor, print weighs the drums, elevates the furnace and the elevator casing, the length of the
and up-ends them to a grid above the feed bin, screw conveyor was extended beyond Lange1oth
vibrates them in two timed sequences, lowers them practice. The required hangers were designed to use
back to the scale, and tare weighs the drum. If the anti-friction bearings with sealed lubrication. From
drum weight exceeds a preset allowable tare, the the last banger bearing, a 316 stainless section of
dumping sequence is repeated. If the drum weight is conveyor flight projects through the furnace wall
less than the allowable tare, the tare weight is printed without benefit of a discharge end bearing. With this
and the drum is unloaded to a second roHer conveyor. system, the unsupported length of conveyor screw
The equipment can be operated automatically with is reduced to a practical minimum.
time control to repeat the entire sequence so long as The technical oxide product is discharged from
concentrate is available on the supply roHer con- the roaster through a double-flap valve operating
veyor, or it can be manually initiated for each drum. much like a conventional gate lock assembly and

FEBRUARY 1971, JOURNAL OF METALS-19

 I AOJUST ... BLE NON- CLOGGING
reducer. This is engineered as the limiting compo-
nent in the drive train, in lieu of the more common
).- SAMPLE OPEN I NG
shear pin or clutch so easily circumvented. With
this drive train, shaft rotation can be continuously
varied between 0.29 and 0.87 rpm.
Nozzle mix gas burners are provided on the sec-
ond, fourth, sixth, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh
hearths. All are used for preheating the roaster prior
T RA 1'1 S l TI 0 N IM:!,....----::IIT"""----.~
to charging. Some part of the burners on the ninth,
RECTANGUL"R
TO tenth, and eleventh hearth are routinely used for
ROUNO process control.
60"
While the furnace does not represent any radical
0 departure from standard design, it does have features
POSdTIONING PIN_/ adapted to molybdenite conversion in accord with
the latest Lange1oth practice. Perhaps most notable
is the generous provision of working doors, air inlets

0
and gas outlets. Six working doors are provided for
each hearth Ievel. These are evenly spaced around
•t "" the furnace with the working doors on the out rab-
bled hearths directly over the working doors on the
in rabbled hearths. With this arrangement, 18 drop
SECTION A.-A
holes on each out rabbled hearth are accessible for
Fig. 2-Ciimax adjustable and non-clogging fish tail sampler. cleaning either from above or below. Each working
door has a peephole, approximately 7-in. wide and
passes over a grizzly. Oversize from the grizzly feeds 4-in. high, having a horizontal sliding cover plate.
into a swing sledge mill with %-in. grids. The milled These have proven large enough that most routine
product and the grizzly undersize are transferred cleaning of rabbles or dropholes can be accomplished
to common storage using a vibrating conveyor with without opening the working door. The peepholes
water cooled deck, a positive discharge bucket ele- on the working doors also serve as air inlets for
vator and spiral conveyors. A Climax designed ad- regulation of the furnace. On Hearths 3 to 7 inclusive,
justable and non-clogging fishtail sampler (Fig. 2) they are supplemented by air inlets midway between
continuously diverts 2 % of the product flow to a the working doors.
sample bin. The roaster is furnished with two vertical header
From the product storage bins, the technical oxide flues, located on opposite sides of the furnace (Fig.
is either transferred by pneumatic conveyor to the 3) . One of these is connected by dampered castings
briquette plant, manually packed in 55 gallon steel to hearths 1 to 6, the other is similarly connected to
drums, or packed in 10 Kg contained cans by a com- hearths 3 to 8 inclusive. These, coupled with the
pletely automatic system. peephole and air inlet provisions, are used to pro-
The Rotterdam furnace is a 21-ft 6-in. diameter, mote gas flow across the hearth and to exercise a
12 hearth, Nichols-Herreshoff roaster. The drive train degree of spot temperature regulation.
includes pinion and bevel gear, gear reducer, and a A butterfly damper is located at the top of each
variable speed transmission. A flat belt is used be- vertical flue. One of these is manually operated ; the
tween the variable speed transmission and the gear other automatically controlled to maintain a constant

Fig. 3-Gas handling-

Ciimax Molybdenum N.V.,
Rotterdam roaster. Partial
instrumentation shown with
T for temperature indica-
tor, TR for temperature re-
corder, TRC for temperature
recorder controller, P for
pressure indicator, PR for
pressure recorder, PC for
pressure controller, and
AMM for ammeter.

20-JOURNAL OF METALS, FEBRUARY 1971

draft on the first hearth. Changing the position of
the manual damper alters the distribution of gas ftow ROASTER
1300 TEMPERATURE PROFILE
to the two vertical header ftues.
Two parallel dust collecting trains are provided MAX. - NIN - IDEAL
(Fig. 3), each having two multiclones in series fol-
lowed by an electrostatic precipitator with two elec-
trical fields in series. Depending on roaster feed rate, 1200
one or both systems may be in operation. Either one ....
of the dust collecting trains can be closed off by •
dampers at either end of each line. These dampers, 'G:""
jug valves functioning much like the common globe :::>
valve, prevent diffusion of acid ftue gas into an idle
....
~1100
line, or infiltration of cold air into the ftue system G:
when a collector may be open for inspection or main- '0.""
tenance. ~

Each dust collecting train includes a biower for ....'""

circulating a constant volume of ftue gas through the 1000
multiclones, and a combustion system which may be
used either for preheating the ftues and equipment,
or to increase the temperature of the gas entering
the multiclones.
Leaving the dust collection trains, the ftue gas is eoo
exhausted to atmosphere through a stack, 440-ft
high, engineered to keep ground level concentration
of sulfur dioxide below 0.15 ppm. The stack is con-
Z 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 II 12
structed with concrete exterior, acid resistant brick
lining, and Hollith granulate fill between brick and HEARTH
concrete. A combustion system at the base of the Fig. 4-Langeloth & Rotterdam roaster operating temperatures.
stack preheats the stack before ftue gas is admitted
charging rates. The practice was intended to provide
and supplies additional heat to the ftue gas as needed
a degree of overall adjustment for a change in the
to maintain 400°F effiuent gas temperature at the
charge, and was in some respects necessary with the
top of the stack.
limited area of the then available controlled air in-
Flues, multiclones, precipitators and blowers are
lets.
constructed of mild steel. The system is designed to
With the continued development of horizontal air
minimize exposure of ftues or equipment to stagnant
flow for temperature control, the practice of changing
ftue gas. Flue gas temperature is controlled and in-
draft to accommodate higher charging rates was
sulation is applied to keep metal surfaces above
abandoned. The lower drafts were found more de-
400°F when exposed to ftue gas. Where these prac-
sirable for consistent temperature regulation of the
tices have been followed at Langeloth, mild steel
top hearths; moving a slide gate on air inlet provided
ftues show no deterioration after thirty years use.
a simple approach for linear changes in air rate ; and
ROASTER REGULATION with provision of more air inlets, draft changes be-
Conversion of molybdenum sulfide evolves ap- came unnecessary.
proximately 4900 Btu's per lb of Mo converted from For purposes of control, four furnace zones are
the sulfide to the trioxide, or 4200 Btu's per lb of recognized. The first two hearths, and on occasion
Mo converted to the dioxide . Combustion of the the third hearth, comprise the first zone. The ftota-
ftotation oil in the concentrate can average another tion oil in the concentrate vaporizes and burns in
1900 Btu heat release per lb of Mo charged into the this zone. Most of the converted molybdenum is
furnace. In consideration of the volatility of molybdic present as dioxide; only a small fraction is present
oxide and mechanical problems in handling various as the trioxide. Generally, increasing air flow to the
mixtures of molybdenum sulfide, dioxide, and triox- first zone results in higher hearth temperature. For
ide at elevated temperatures, the conversion of consistent control, air ftow is reduced to lower hearth
molybdenite is best accomplished at relatively low temperature. In operation, ftue outlets on the first and
temperatures. To maintain a heat balance at pre- second hearths are closed as a means of reducing
ferred operating temperatures (Fig. 4), it has been dust loss from the furnace. Except when preheating,
a Climax practice to use excess air as a cooling me- the first and second hearths are down drafted to the
dium. In practice, air inlets and gas outlets at the third hearth.
various hearth levels are used to promote a high Normally, the third hearth can be included in the
degree of horizontal gas ftow. second zone with hearths 4 to 6 inclusive. In this
Air ftow into any level of the furnace can be zone the molybdenite is rapidly converted to the
changed by increasing either the draft or the amount dioxide; the proportion of trioxide remains low.
of air inlet opening. Formerly, both were changed. Starting with air inlets closed, gradually increasing
A draft approximating 0.005 in. water gauge on the air ftow to a hearth initially increases temperature,
first hearth was considered appropriate for low as can be observed by brightening of the burden in
charging rates; this was increased to 0.05 in. for high front of the air inlet. With continued increase in air

FEBRUARY 1971, JOURNAL OF METALS-21

 HE AR TH HE ART H
I I

A BC 2

()
• 7

10

II I I

12 12

.I .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .e .I .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .II

fig. 5--Mole fraction of molybdenum present as molybdenum sul- Fig. 6--Cumulative fraction of stochiometric oxygen reacted. A,
fide. A, B, & C sample identified in text. B, & C samples identified in text.

flow the temperature trend reverses. Within design creases rapidly to a maximum and then declines. The
conversion capacity for the roaster, air flow to the proportion of molybdic oxide remains relatively low
second zone can always be increased sufficiently to until the molybdenum dioxide reaches its maximum,
lower hearth temperatures. Flue outlets on these and then rapidly increases as the proportion of diox-
hearths remain open as a means of promoting hori- ide declines. Reduction of sulfur in the burden (Fig.
zontal gas flow across the hearths. A multiple number 5) and the fraction of stoichiometric oxygen reacted
of air inlets are used on each hearth to distribute the (Fig. 6) on hearths 3 through 6, is best represented
influent air around the hearth to effect a degree of as a linear relationship with hearth area. Leaving the
spot temperature regulation. sixth hearth, the rate of oxidation is less.
Seventh and eighth hearths are in the third zone· Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are based on the same three sets
sulfide and dioxide molybdenum are oxidized to th~ of samples, with all samples collected as the burden
trioxide. Increasing air flow to this zone has the discharged from the various hearths. In both cases,
same effect as in the second zone, initially increasing each point of the Aseries is the average of three sam-
temperature and then decreasing temperature as ples of the active burden in a sixteen hearth Lange-
air flow increases. Normally, the flue outlets remain 1oth roaster, with only one sample from each hearth
open as in the second zone. in any given day. Each point of the B series is the
The ninth, tenth and eleventh hearths are in the average of twelve samples of the burden discharging
fourth zone. These hearths are constantly updrafted from the hearths of the Rotterdam roaster. These
to the seventh or eighth hearths. In this zone the samples were taken at regular intervals during two
sulfur content is reduced from possibly 0.7 % to less separate days, with the roaster operating at 130%
than .1 % ; oxidation to the trioxide is largely com- of design capacity. Each point of the C series is the
pleted. With possibly 95 % of the conversion normally average of six samples at regular intervals during a
single day, with the Rotterdam roaster operating at
accomplished on the eight upper hearths, supplemen-
94 % of design capacity. Results have been less regular
tal heat is required to maintain sufficient burden
temperature to complete the reaction. In practice, when only single samples rather than averages are
25 to 50 million Btu per day are furnished by natural considered.
gas burners on the tenth and eleventh hearths de-
pending somewhat on excess air flow to these he~rths. Table II-Distribution of molybdenum in hearth
Where available, gas burners may also be used on discharge*
the ninth hearth, particularly with production rates
Mole Fraetlon Molybdenum as
well below design capacity. Hearth MoS, Moo, MoO"
0.0 0.0
From analysis of hearth discharge samples, the dis- 0
2
1.0
0.842 0.092 0.066
tribution of molybdenum between sulfide, dioxide, 4
6
0.491
0.106
0.324
0.633
0.185
0 .262
and trioxide can be estimated and expressed as mole 8
10
0.008
0.001
0 .222
0 .005
0 .772
0.995
fraction of molybdenum present in each form (Table 12 0 .0007
2). Characteristically, as conversion of molybdenite • Typical analysis lllustra ting p a ttern of change in distribution from
h earth to hearth.
proceeds the proportion of molybdenum dioxide in-

22- JOURNAL OF METALS, FEBRUARY 1971

 Preferred hearth temperatures can vary with the
furnace and with the operator. In practice, each op-
erator prescribes a schedule of target temperatures "'0.... 100
considered ideal for a particular furnace, and in some ..l
cases a maximum and minimum acceptable tempera- z
g 80
ture. The cross hatched area of Fig. 4 defines the ....
u
::>
Iimits within which particular target, or ideal, tem- g 60
peratures are selected for the Rotterdam and Lange- p::
p.
1oth units. The particular maximum and minimum p:: 40
t.l
temperatures which may be prescribed for a unit are IQ

generally within the corresponding Iimits of Fig. 4, ~ zo

z
and can be within the cross hatched area.
Several factors govern selection of operating tem-
peratures. When temperatures are measured by ther- Fig. 7-% sulfur in technical oxide. Rotterdam unit Sept. 21, 1968-
mocouples in the atmosphere, the recorded tempera- 0ct. 23, 1969.
ture may vary over a wide range depending on its
position with respect to air inlets, gas outlets, and Table 111-Sulfur in technical oxide
path of gas flow. Accretion on rabbles, rabble arms,
center shaft column, and exposed refractory tends Years Unlts Avg.% 8 Std. Deviation•
to increase with temperature and favors selection of 1953-1954 618 0.068 0.045
1960-1961 0.057
lower allowable temperatures as a means of reducing 1968-1969
1098
1646 0.045
0.038
0.026
Iabor requirements. Within some Iimits, increased • An estimate comb!ning variance of two or more roasters, not a
temperature at the top of the furnace reduces dust rigorous calculation.
loss. With typical distribution of the reaction, in-
creasing temperatures on hearths 3 through 7 can to establish a static interface between the sixth and
result in agglomerates whose interior will not oxi- seventh hearths through which there is no vertical
dize. Particularly around the seventh hearth, it is movement of gas. This has been used to increase the
advisable to select target temperatures below the degree of horizontal gas fl.ow to be obtained with the
point at which the burden exhibits properties similar system of air inlets and the fl.ue outlets provided.
to wet snow. All other factors equal, minimum sulfur Rabbling of the furnace burden can be a problem.
content in the roasted concentrate is attained with in- Characteristically, the burden sticks to the rabbles,
creasing temperature on hearths 9, 10, and 11. and frequently piles up in front of the rabbles rather
In general, temperatures at the top of the furnace than passing freely between them. This piling, col-
are elevated to the point of reduced dust loss; tem- loquially called "dragging", is accentuated with op-
peratures on the middle hearths are in the lower eration in particular temperature ranges considered
ranges of acceptable temperatures as a means of re- related to the specific mixture of sulfide, dioxide,
ducing operating difficulties; and temperatures at and trioxide present in the hearth burden. "Drag-
the bottom of the furnace are elevated in the direc- ging" is precipitated when the agglomerated mass
tion of acceptable product. Provision of a cooling removed in cleaning the rabbles is !arge enough to
conveyor to handle product discharge permits higher wedge between rabbles, or when the burden is heated
temperatures on the lower hearths of the Rotterdam or cooled through the troublesome temperature
furnace. Without external cooling facilities, technical range. It is minimized by frequent cleaning of the
oxide packing and the briquette operation are com- rabbles, by steady state operation outside the
plicated, unless the product can be discharged below troublesome temperature range, and by wider
500°F. spacing of rabbles. Wider spacing of rabbles has been
attained with use of four rabble arms per hearth
The two vertical flues may be used in either of two
ways. Where these are available, the general practice with a single complement of rabbles; extremely long
has been to utilize them for minimizing temperature rabbles or wide angle rabbles are avoided as a means
differentials on the hearth. Changing the position of of increasing rabble spacing.
the manually operated damper alters the distribution PRODUCT QUALITY
of gas fl.ow between hearth outlets on opposite sides As conversion technique developed, product
of the hearth. Increasing fl.ow to the manually con- quality improved. In 1945, sulfur in technical oxide
trolled vertical flue tends to increase the recorded was specified as 0.25%. A month's production could
temperature on that side of the hearth. be expected to average 0.10 to 0.15% sulfur; produc-
Alternately, flue outlet dampers may be closed so tion lots containing 0.20 to 0.25% were not unusual.
that one vertical flue bandies the gas leaving flue In subsequent years, the average sulfur, and the vari-
outlets on the third, fourth and fifth hearth, and the ability between production lots, was reduced, (Table
other handles gas leaving through flue outlets on the 3), until it was feasible to operate the furnaces with
fifth to eighth hearth. With this arrangement, if the a 0.10% maximum sulfur specification. Characteris-
manual damper is closed in the flue handling gas from tically, however, some furnaces average lower sulfur
the top of the furnace, the top five hearths are down product than others. In this respect, the record of the
drafted to the sixth hearth. In theory at least, it is Rotterdam furnace has been particularly good, (Fig.
possible to position the manually operated damper 7).

FEBRUARY 1971, JOURNAL OF METALS-23

 Roasting can do nothing to reduce the level of gas for sulfur dioxide recovery. The heat capacity
metallic impurities such as copper in the concentrate. for liquid water at 50°F to water vapor at 1100°F
These must either be controlled in the concentrating approximates 6.0 times that of an equal weight of air
operation, or reduced by subsequent treatment. The at 60oF to air at 1100°F; and, is even more favor-
mine operation has accomplished much in this area. able when compared at lower temperatures. Only
Today, the grade of concentrate is higher, with less small size piping is required to satisfy flow require-
silicon, than formerly. Typically, copper and lead are ments.
less than 0.05%; tin and bismuth less than 0.025%; In 1969, sprays were installed on seven hearths of
and trace elements such as tungsten, chromium, the Rotterdam furnace. With five months trial op-
nickel, titanium, phosphorus, and arsenic at the eration, results were encouraging. With the furnace
0.01% level or less. Iron, aluminum and Calcium- operating above 105% of design capacity, 2.7 to
magnesium are present in larger amount, but typi- 3.5% sulfur dioxide concentration was attained; sus-
cally less than 0.5%. tained operation with 3.2% sulfur dioxide appears
probable. With operation at reduced capacity, higher
SULFUR DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION sulfur dioxide concentration is indicated.
In Climax operations, use of excess air as a means With three spray nozzles located on each of the
of temperature control produces a stack gas normally first three hearths and two spray nozzles on each of
in the range of 0.9% to 1.5% sulfur dioxide. With the next four hearths, temperature control was ex-
sulfur dioxide a frequent subject for atmospheric cellent. Air could be freely admitted to the first two
pollution control attention has been directed toward hearths with consequent increase in reaction to the
alternate methods of heat dissipation as a means lead- extent that the flotation oil could be combusted and
ing to increased concentration of sulfur dioxide in the 20% of the sulfur removed on these hearths, with
flue gas. Success in this direction is expected to im- the furnace operating at 120% of design capacity.
prove economy both in gas handling equipment and The spray cooling system clearly provides a means
in recovery of sulfur from the flue gas. for increasing the conversion capacity of the furnace.
The top seven hearths of the Rotterdam furnace On a sustained basis, test work to date suggests that
were constructed without the usual insulating block the Rotterdam furnace can be operated above 125%
between the fir·ebrick lining and the outer steel shell. of design capacity, with spray cooling of the top
This, and black paint for the top half of the furnace hearths.
are in the direction of increased heat loss through To date, the test work has indicated that the uli-
the furnace wall, with consequent increase in sulfur mate sulfur dioxide concentration will be limited by
dioxide concentration. Results appear to be less than the oxygen concentration required to maintain a suit-
expected, at least in part due to accumulation of fur- able reaction rate. This would be in agreement with
nace burden, with insulating properties, against the the work of Cardoen3 at the University of Utah.
sidewall. This method is not advisable where free While spray cooling can evidently be used to increase
space around the furnace may be limited, or where conversion capacity, maximum sulfur dioxide con-
summer temperatures may be higher. centration will be attained with the lower oxygen
Obviously, if the operation is reduced until the concentration required for lower conversion capaci-
excess reaction heat is equivalent to the furnace heat ties.
loss, the sulfur dioxide concentration in the flue gas The spray cooling system is completely automatic
would increase to a maximum. In effect, this was as presently developed, with a temperature controller
approached prior to 1942, before the now prevailing for each hearth. With the presently favored version,
practice was developed as a means for improved spray volume is controlled by modulating water
temperature control and increased furnace capacity. pressure through a 15 psi range in response to the
Sulfur dioxide concentration in the range of 3 to 5% temperatur·e measurement. Limit switches are used
was obtained. to shut off the water at a preset minimum allowable
Cooling of flue gas and circulation back to the fur- temperature or if the roaster center column is not
nace has been considered. At some temperature be- rotating. With spray cooling, or any other automated
tween 340 and 400°F, the flue gas exhibits strong roaster temperature control, dependable temperature
corrosive properties and presents some handling measurement is imperative. Previously, if a tempera-
problems. The control problems introduced, however, ture measurement was wrong, the roaster was not
affected. Spray cooling, however, responds just as
appear to have more serious consequence. A flue gas
readily to an erroneous temperature measurement as
with maximum attainable sulfur dixoide concentra-
to a proper one. This, the unknown oxygen concen-
tion must either be introduced at the periphery of the
tration requirement, and unfamiliar conditions pre-
hearth requiring cooling, or blended with atmo-
sented interesting challenges during the test work.
spheric air in proportians tailored to the needs of each With spray cooling providing opportunities for
individual hearth. The piping to the furnace and the automated roaster temperature control, we are look-
damper control system could be quite elaborate, if ing forward to an even more consistent operation
the practice of introducing reaction and cooling me- and improved quality control.
dium in variable quantity at multiple points on each
hearth is continued. BIBLIOGRAPHY
A system using water sprays is under development 1 Wheeler, E. S .. "Climax Conversion Practice", A.I.M.E. Technica!
Publication 1718, Metals Technology, 1944.
and appears promising. The water added in the 'Grimes, G. R., "Rabble Tooth", U.S. Patent 3,175,809.
a Cardoen, Carlos, "The Kinetics of MoSo Oxidation", Ph.D. Thesis,
roaster can be largely condensed in cooling the flue University of Utah, 1968.

24-JOURNAL OF METALS, FEBRUARY 1971