JOM, Vol. 73, No.
9, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-021-04794-9
Ó 2021 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
COMPUTATIONAL MODELING IN PYROMETALLURGY
Computational Modeling in Pyrometallurgy: Part I
Q.G. REYNOLDS1,3 and M.A. RHAMDHANI 2,4
1.—MINTEK Pyrometallurgy Division, University of Stellenbosch, Randburg, South Africa.
2.—FPD (Fluid and Process Dynamics) Research Group, Swinburne University of
Technology, Melbourne, Australia
3.—e-mail: QuinnR@mintek.co.za. 4.—e-mail: ARhamdhani@swin.edu.au
Such complexity has historically made it very
INTRODUCTION
difficult indeed to develop efficient numerical algo-
Pyrometallurgy is the subtle art and science of rithms for the study of pyrometallurgy using com-
using high temperatures to process raw materials putational modeling methods. However, sustained
into valuable products. This is performed in several increases in available computer power combined
key stages, including pre-treatment, chemical reac- with new advances in both computational hardware
tions, separation of product and waste streams, and and software are for the first time starting to give us
product refining. The interior of pyrometallurgical a glimmer of insight into this most intractable of
vessels in all stages is an extreme and hazardous engineering challenges. In this special topic, we
environment, with process temperatures well in present nine papers that highlight those computa-
excess of 1000°C. As a result, it is a uniquely tional modeling advances.
challenging subject for experimental study and
measurement, and in many cases the task of PAPERS IN THIS TOPIC
improving our fundamental understanding and
Computational modeling of dispersed-phase sys-
engineering knowledge of pyrometallurgical pro-
tems is a not straightforward problem. In general,
cesses falls solely to mathematical, numerical, and
some approximation methods or ‘‘closures’’ must be
computational models of the various phenomena at
applied to the dispersed phase in order to reduce the
work.
computational complexity of the overall model to
When developing such models, the level of com-
manageable levels. Assessing the impact of different
plexity present in the governing physics and chem-
choices of closures on the results obtained for a
istry is, however, a formidable obstacle. It is not
given problem is an important and often neglected
uncommon for a single pyrometallurgical unit oper-
part of due diligence in modeling. In ‘‘Effect of Drag
ation to exhibit behavior related to simultaneous
Laws and Turbulence Models on CFD Modeling of
heat transfer and thermal radiation, multiphase
the Bubble Behavior and Fluid Flow in RH Reactor’’
and free surface fluid flow, phase thermodynamics
by Q. Cao et al., the authors demonstrate this by
and thermochemistry, solid–liquid–gas phase
exploring the effect of different fluid turbulence and
changes, flow and motion of granular media, elec-
drag force closures on computational fluid dynamics
tromagnetic stirring and heating effects, transonic
(CFD) models of a reactor unit used in steelmaking.
and supersonic flow, thermo-mechanical cycling and
The level of process complexity in pyrometallurgy
material fracture, and many others. Strong coupling
can often seem daunting. Although it is tempting
between these different phenomena generally mean
(and instructive to a degree) to isolate and study
that they cannot be studied in isolation and must be
individual parts of the physics and chemistry on
solved as part of integrated multiphysics models.
their own, important coupling and interaction
Additionally relevant behavior may occur over an
effects between various phenomena may easily be
extremely broad range of length and time scales,
missed in this way. In ‘‘An Overall Furnace Model
from micrometers to tens of meters and from
for the Silicomanganese Process,’’ M. Sparta et al.
milliseconds to days.*
have demonstrated the utility of a computational
(Received June 29, 2021; accepted June 30, 2021; multiphysics model for silicomanganese smelting
published online July 14, 2021) which combines granular flow, fluid flow, heat
transfer, and thermochemical reaction behavior into
*Quinn Reynolds and M Akbar Rhamdhani are Guest Editors for a single integrated framework.
the Pyrometallurgy Committee of TMS and coordinated the topic
Computational Modeling in Pyrometallurgy in this issue.
2658
Computational Modeling in Pyrometallurgy: Part I 2659
The development of electric arc furnaces for metallic product. Computational tools are of great
pyrometallurgy dates back to the nineteenth cen- use in analyzing and evaluating these designs, as is
tury and they remain an established technology demonstrated by T. Li et al. in ‘‘Effects of Height
today. Plasma arcs are effective sources of thermal Difference of the Recycled Stub on the Anode
and mechanical stirring, and permit the prosecution Performance in Hall–Héroult Cell.’’
of many smelting processes which would otherwise The production of copper in pyrometallurgical
be impossible. Arcs are, however, tremendously units such as smelters and converters is an inter-
complex phenomena to model, originating as they esting process in that it generally treats two raw
do from tight coupling between electromagnetic, materials in different phases (the copper ore as a
fluid flow, and heat transfer effects. In ‘‘Momentum liquid melt, and the oxygen as a pure gas or
Transfer from Arc to Slag Bath in a DC Ilmenite mixture). These phases must be brought into inti-
Smelting Furnace—A Computational Analysis,’’ T. mate contact to ensure the occurrence of the desired
Makgoale et al. present a comprehensive analysis of thermochemical reactions. The method and location
a promising method for reducing the computational of injection of the gas into the melt pool varies
complexity of arcs in integrated multiphysics considerably between different furnace designs; in
models. ‘‘Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on
Continuous casting is one of the most high- Enhanced Circulation Flow in a Side-blown Copper
intensity processes to be found in pyrometallurgy. Smelting Furnace,’’ Y. Xiao et al. make use of
Molten steel is poured into a cooled metal mold open multiphase computational fluid dynamics models to
at the bottom, and solidifies into a solid ingot as it is assess the impact of changes to the injection nozzles
continuously drawn out. Continuous casters require in a side-injected copper smelter.
precision operation and control to achieve the high Movement of reacting particles is very complex in
throughputs required in the steel industry, and a highly dynamic basic oxygen furnace during
catastrophic failure of the unit can result if the mold steelmaking. In ‘‘Numerical Investigation of Lime
shell is fractured during operation. Computational Particle Motion in Steelmaking BOF Process,’’ Y.
multiphysics models are valuable as virtual proto- Xiao and coauthors attempted to evaluate lime
types and in silico experiments for fine-tuning the particle motion in the top and bottom blowing
design of pyrometallurgical equipment, as demon- BOF reactor using 3D numerical modeling. The
strated in ‘‘Effect of Final Electromagnetic Stirring results provide some insight on how the particles
on Flow, Solidification, and Solute Transport in initially move to the side before coming back to the
Continuous-Casting Bloom’’ by Q. Fang et al. center and gradually dispersing in the slag.
One of the most powerful ways in which compu- Many complex phenomena and processes are occur-
tational models can be used in pyrometallurgy is as ring during aluminium electrolysis in a cell. In ‘‘Mode
a complement to laboratory and industrial experi- Coupling Analysis of Interfacial Stability and Critical
ments, in order to provide deeper fundamental Anode–Cathode Distance in a 500-kA Aluminum
understanding and interpretation of results which Electrolysis Cell, M. Li et al. attempted to quantify
often require enormous effort to generate. In and evaluate the magneto-hydrodynamic interfacial
‘‘Quantitative Evaluation of Slag Corrosion on instability. This work puts forward a number of
MgO-C Refractory by Experiment and Numerical frequencies that promote instability in the cell. It is
Simulation’’ by Q. Wang et al., the authors have also demonstrated that increasing the anode–cathode
developed a computational model of a common distance promotes the stability of the cell.
refractory corrosion test and compared experimen- All titles and authors of the articles published
tal and numerical results to both validate their under the topic ‘‘Computational Modeling in Pyromet-
model and improve the understanding of the pro- allurgy’’ in the September 2021 issue (vol. 73, no. 9) of
cesses involved in MgO-C refractory corrosion. JOM can be accessed via the journal’s page at: http://
Aluminium production via molten salt electrolysis link.springer.com/journal/11837/73/9/page/1.
in the Hall–Héroult process is one of the most
established pyrometallurgical industries. It Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with re-
requires highly specialised furnace vessels and gard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional
electrode designs in order to optimize the flow of affiliations.
large electric currents and the separation of the
