About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Materials Processing Fundamentals: Towards Sustainable Process Modeling, Design, and Operation
|
| Presentation Title |
Three-Dimensional Multiphase Numerical Modeling of Gas Injection in the Anode Furnace for Copper Refining |
| Author(s) |
Luis Aguayo-Torrez, Corby G. Anderson, Denis Aslangil |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Luis Aguayo-Torrez |
| Abstract Scope |
In blister copper refining, gas injection is a critical step to remove dissolved impurities and adjust oxidation potential. This study numerically investigates the effectiveness of hydrogen and hydrogen-based carriers as alternative reductants to conventional natural gas in the deoxidation stage of the poling process. To this end, a three-dimensional, multiphase CFD model of the anode furnace was developed in ANSYS Fluent using the Volume of Fluid method to simulate subsonic gas injection into molten copper. The model was validated through benchmark cases from the literature and adapted to the geometry of this study. Simulations compare gas behavior under equivalent conditions, focusing on important macroscopic flow field metrics, including but not limited to penetration depth, gas–liquid interfacial area, and mixing indicators relevant to refining efficiency. The results provide early insights into the behavior of alternative low-carbon gases in industrial-scale systems, laying the groundwork for future optimization of gas injection strategies. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Modeling and Simulation, Copper / Nickel / Cobalt, Pyrometallurgy |