ProgramMaster Logo
Conference Tools for 2022 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Login
Register as a New User
Help
Submit An Abstract
Propose A Symposium
Presenter/Author Tools
Organizer/Editor Tools
About this Symposium
Meeting 2022 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Symposium Furnace Tapping 2022
Sponsorship The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
TMS Extraction and Processing Division
TMS: Pyrometallurgy Committee
TMS: Process Technology and Modeling Committee
TMS: Materials Characterization Committee
Industrial Advisory Committee
Organizer(s) Joalet Dalene Steenkamp, XPS Glencore
Dean Gregurek, RHI Magnesita
Quinn G. Reynolds, Mintek
Gerardo Raul Alvear Flores, CaEng Associates
Hugo Joubert, Tenova Pyromet
Phillip J. Mackey, P.J. Mackey Technology, Inc.
Scope Many a metallurgist fell in love with pyrometallurgy after witnessing a smelter being tapped. There is something magical in the combination of light, energy and danger that simultaneously stirs the primal instincts to ‘run for your life’ and ‘go closer and have a look’.

But tapping a smelter is not an easy task.

Much engineering go into the design of the tap-hole. Due to the aggressive nature of the process, material selection is as important as layout. The design process kicks off with a set of design criteria, which needs to be revised as the results of laboratory, compational fluid dynamics (CFD) and time-and-motion studies become available. The tap-hole life-cyle is taken into account with designers addressing the requirements for installation and operability as well as for maintenance. Matters such as online monitoring of the taphole wear, handling of liquid products, and extraction of fumes are all taken into account.

Though tap-hole life can be improved with proper design, a good design can be destroyed with incorrect tapping practices and equipment. Despite the harshness of the tapfloor environment, it requires precision equipment and operating practices. The design and maintenance of the drilling, tapping and plugging equipment and materials plays an equally important role in tap-hole life and tapfloor safety. As does protective equipment. Operators want the tap-hole life to be as long as possible since tap-hole failures is often the cause for a reline—a very expensive exercise in an upcycle when the cost of a new lining is small compared to the loss in production. Managing the maintenance and reline schedule is a challenge with lessons often learned the hard way.

The first thing students are taught in pyrometallurgy courses is how to compile a mass and energy balance for a smelter. An accounting mass and energy balance is used not only to schedule furnace taps but also to make process decisions. Process variables measured during or after tapping are important inputs to a workable mass and energy balance.

Even though much has been done to make the tapping process as automatic as possible, tapping of smelters cannot be done without labour. Tap floor operators work in harsh environments where safety is of utmost importance. Selection of suitable personnel and intensive training is required.

No pyrometallurgical smelter can operate without some form of tapping system. It is the one thing all smelters have in common. A meeting point of science, technology and skill.

So let us talk about it.

Abstracts Due 07/19/2021
Proceedings Plan Planned:
PRESENTATIONS APPROVED FOR THIS SYMPOSIUM INCLUDE

Aluminium Tapping and Molten Metal Handling in Primary Smelters
CFD Study on Continuous Tapping of Silicon
Controlled Tapping – The Research Project
Data Analysis to Assess Carry-over Slag
Electrical Resistivity of Transformed Carbon Materials in the Silicon Furnace
Furnace Tapping 101
Health Friendly Plugging Repair Pastes
Investigation of Melting Behavior and Viscosity of Slags from Secondary Ferromanganese Production
Kansanshi Copper Smelter Isaconvert Furnace Tapping System Design, Operation and Improvements
Lab Scale Physical Model Experiments to Understand the Effect of Particle Bed on Tapping Flow Rates
Metal and Slag Extraction from Different Zones of a Submerged Arc Furnace with Non-uniform Porous Bed Using CFD
MIRS Robotic Tapping and Plugging of Non-ferrous Smelting Furnaces
NOW ON-DEMAND ONLY - Simulation-based Approaches for Optimized Tap Hole Design
NOW ON-DEMAND ONLY - Slide Gate Technology for Slag Tapping
NOW ON-DEMAND ONLY - Tap-hole Refractory Issues and Remedies
PGM-Ni-Cu Tapping: An Updated Industry Survey
Reduced-order Models of Furnace Tapping Systems – A Case Study from a Submerged Arc Furnace Producing Silicomanganese
Sensor Technologies for Optimized Tapping Procedures
Slag Reduction and Viscosities Interaction in Ferromanganese Process
Successful Development and Optimisation of Lead ISASMELT™ Furnace Slag Tapping System at Kazzinc Ltd.
Tap-hole Clay Technologies for Ferroalloy Reduction Furnaces
Tapblock Refractory Wear Monitoring and Hearth Refractory Design Optimization in Metallurgical Furnaces
Tapped Alloy Mass Prediction Using Data-driven Models with an Application to Silicomanganese Production
The Evaluation of Chemical Wear of Carbon-based Tap-hole Refractories in Ferrochrome Production
The Interaction of Slag and Carbon on the Electrical Properties
Theoretical Framework and Practical Recommendations for Proper Thermal Lance Use and Selection


Questions about ProgramMaster? Contact programming@programmaster.org