Improved Construction of Converters for Smelting Copper.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
COMI LIE DI BUITIVATION.
Improved Construction of Converters for Smelting Copper.
I, CHARLES VATTIER, of 185 Calle Moneda Santiago Chili, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Great difficulties are experienced in protecting the linings of converters employed
in treating copper.
Such lining is formed of a mixture of fireclay and a kind of refractory loam in
the form of powder; after a short time this lining becomes destroyed, in particular
near the tuyeres.
The apparatus must then be stopped and replaced by another one previously
prepared.
The used apparatus is then cooled by a current of cold water, the lining is
removed, a fresh lining put in, dried and baked. To the expense thus incurred is
to be added that of sorting out the scorified parts of the old lining, the mechanical
washing of the residues and the greater or less losses of copper contained in the
debris of the lining &c.
Many attempts have been made for preventing the destruction of the lining.
Various protective coatings have been proposed. In the hope of saturating the
oxide of iron produced by the reactions otherwise than at the expense of the silica
of the lining by the formation of silicate of iron, powdered quartz has been injected
during the operations, but the friction of the quartz soon wore away the tuyeres
and rendered them useless. In addition, this quartz did not act beneficially; it
caked the mass, without combining, and it was found almost intact in the first slag
that was run off.
In addition to the chemical action due to the combination of the oxide of iron
with the silica of the lining, the violent convulsions produced by the jets of air have
to be reckoned with; the waves of scoria and matte thrown against the sides of the
converter, raised to a very high temperature, complete the disaggregation and
destruction of the lining.
It has also been attempted to line the interior of the apparatus with a suitable
metallic surface, which is continuously cooled by a current of cold water. Another
inconvenience then arises; the cooling action is too sudden and in particular at
the moment when the reactions cease, the mass tends to solidify notwithstanding the
rapidity of the operations.
According to my present invention, instead of endeavouring to protect the
entire interior surface of the apparatus, I only protect the most exposed parts, and
the parts impossible to repair, from prompt destruction without stopping and cooling
the converter.
In a converter, the part of the lining most exposed to wear and in particular
to the mechanical action of the matte &c. is that round about the tuyeres, that
is to say about 0.40 metres above and below the line thereof and it is impossible
to employ refractory mortar to such part for repairing the same so long as the
apparatus is not cooled and placed in the repairing shop. The two lateral faces
forming the bases of the cylinder are less exposed to wear but the repairs are
equally impossible there during the working of the apparatus. The two parts to
be protected are therefore in the neighbourhood of the line of the tuyeres and
the bases of the cylinder with the exception of the lateral part of these bases
which carries a manhole allowing of the ready application of a disc or plug of
fire clay. As to the breast of the converter that is to say the part which receives
the matte when the apparatus is inclined at the moment of charging, the repair

page_text: thereof is very simple; it suffices to incline the apparatus after having emptied it
for bringing it into a horizontal position.
The small scorified layer is removed by means of a scraper and there are thrown
thereon balls of moist refractory clay which are then pressed down by means of a
flat presser. The operation lasts only a few minutes without requiring the converter
to be cooled or the operation to be stopped.
The parts to be protected, that is to say, the bottom and the neighbourhood of
made to
the tuyeres, are provided with a serpentine pipe through which water
circulate, thus forming a protecting water jacket.
The accompanying drawing shews in end view partly in section at Fig. 1 and
in longitudinal section on line X X at Fig. 2 a converter provided with my
improvements.
In the neighbourhood of the tuyeres a there are arranged in the direction of the
generatrix of the cylinder A a series of pipes b by preference of copper, the ends
of which are connected alternately by means of elbow pieces c externally of the
converter, thus forming a serpentine.
Each of the bottoms B is lined with a series of pipes d of almost circular
form, the ends of which are joined to a cast iron box fixed on the bottom of the
converter.
The box C is divided by transverse partitions e reaching near to the top of the
box and serving to establish the communications between the neighbouring ends of
two separate tubes, so that the whole forms a serpentine jacket of zigzag form through
which water under pressure is made to circulate in the direction indicated by the
arrows. The arrangement is completed by the application of a cover which
establishes the continuity of the serpentine pipes.
The serpentine lining of the bottom and the longitudinal serpentine lining are
connected with each other in any suitable manuer, such that the water circulates
from the one to the other, entering at the hottest part and passing out through the
coolest part.
Roman cement is generally employed for forming the tuyeres; and the filling
between the pipes and the sheet metal, as also the outer coating, are made in the
ordinary manner.
A converter provided with the above described improvements allows of the
production of white mattes containing 70 per cent. of copper and also a sort of black
matte exceeding 80 per cent., under the same conditions as though the operation
were carried on without a water jacket and with all the pipes laid bare.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a converter for smelting copper, the combination, with the refractory lining,
of a water jacket consisting of pipes through which water is made to circulate,
situated at the part near the tuyeres and at the two side parts which are difficult
to repair, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In a converter for smelting copper, the combination, with the lining, of a
water jacket composed of pipes b connected by external elbow pieces c situated near
the tuyeres a and of curved pipes d connected to a box C and to the pipes 6 for
effecting a continuous circulation of water through both sets of pipes, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
Dad thin 19th dow of Webruary 1802
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.