Physical models and computational fluid dynamics helped researchers to better understand ore feed and mixing behaviour at the Risdon smelter.

Detective work solves zinc smelter puzzle

Reference: 08/22

Thorough detective work by CSIRO researchers has helped identify the cause of unusual brick degradation in a Tasmanian zinc smelter.

• 7 February 2008

Although the plant has been operating since the 1960s, the brick degradation was a relatively recent phenomenon.

“We used physical modelling, computational fluid dynamics, numerical modelling and our expertise in thermodynamics to investigate the case,” says Dr Seng Lim of CSIRO Minerals.

“Working closely with the company and using a range of approaches meant we were able to gain a clear understanding of what was happening in the roaster bed and within the roaster dome area.”

Dr Lim took this understanding – and a solution that had been tested and proven at CSIRO’s Clayton facilities – and presented it to current smelter owners Nyrstar. It was, he says, “a bit like Hercule Poirot unveiling his evidence.”

According to Nyrstar senior metallurgist Kevin Halbe, CSIRO’s work added a theoretical understanding to the company’s problem-solving process, making it much easier to find and implement the best solution.

Changing the way feed was added to the roaster bed resolved the problem and allowed plant production to return to previous levels.

The full story can be found in the February issue of Process, which will be released on Tuesday 12 February 2008. A pdf of the magazine is available now at  Process magazine (Feb 08).

Other stories in Process include:

Step-by-step approach unblocks operation’s heart: Researchers investigating techniques for removing carbon fouling from gas outlet tubes discovered that the water-lancing technique being used ‘was a bit like squirting a garden hose into a tornado’.

Engineering underpins processing capabilities: A pilot-scale sintering facility in Queensland is helping researchers better understand the processing behaviour of lower-grade iron ores – information crucial for achieving the best sinter performance from these resources while reducing the process’s environmental impact.

Scientists search for a small solution: Nanomaterials offer resource processors a number of advantages over conventional catalysts; the challenge is finding a way to produce these materials in commercial quantities and in a cost-effective manner.

Raking in the benefits: Researchers working through the Parker Centre are looking at how factors such as the size, shape and spacing of rake blades can be modified to improve the performance of gravity thickeners.
Salty waste a potentially sweet deal: Techno-economic studies have shown that the concentrated brine generated by desalination plants could potentially be recovered and turned into valuable mineral salts.

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