Patent ID: 8623114

Claim:
A method for the anode refining of copper comprising the steps of: (i) charging molten blister copper to a furnace; (ii) charging copper scrap to the molten blister copper in the furnace; (iii) melting said copper scrap or heating the molten blister copper using a melting flame produced from a top blown, multi-functional coherent jet lance, wherein said melting flame is a soft blown, non-lancing flame which spreads in the radial direction and loses its supersonic character within a distance of 20 nozzle diameters from the distal end of the lance face, said coherent jet lance coupled to an oxygen-containing gas source, and a fuel source; (iv) oxidizing sulfur impurities in the molten blister copper in the furnace using a top-blown, coherent oxygen-containing gas stream ejected from the coherent jet lance, said coherent jet lance coupled to the oxygen-containing gas source and the fuel source; and (v) reducing oxygen in the molten blister copper in the furnace using a top-blown, coherent reducing gas stream containing a reducing agent and an inert gas ejected from the coherent jet lance; said coherent jet lance coupled to the oxygen-containing gas source, the fuel source; a source of the reducing agent; and a source of the inert gas.