Environmental overkill: the natural resource impact
The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that there is a limit on SO/sub 2/ control costs of 3 cents/lb of copper which can be considered reasonable for domestic primary copper smelting. Treatment of the large volumes of relatively dilute reverberatory furnace gases generated in the typical copper smelter is thus not economically feasible. A new source performance standard has been provisionally proposed which in effect will prohibit use of reverberatory furnaces in copper smelters of the future. This proposal is justified on the basis that large-scale hydrometallurgical processing of copper concentrates is a potentially promising substitute for pyrometallurgical treatment of copper-bearing materials and that flash smelting and electric furnaces are proven alternatives to the reverberatory furnace. However, this justification is not necessarily correct. By forcing flash smelting as an alternative to the reverberatory furnace, the new source performance standard would restrict disposal of abatement-derived H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ in a way which at the same time contributes to continuing needs for copper. Experience with large electric furnaces is limited, and the new standard would require that copper concentrates of high volatile impurity content, lead smelter by-products, and, to a certain extent, cement copper very largely must be smelted in electric furnaces. The increased use of electric furnaces would increase electric power use and mining of coal to fuel power stations. The energy requirements for smelting and refining copper are reviewed; electric furnaces wouldrequire the highest energy consumption, and calcine charged reverberatory furnaces would have an energy advantage. Thus, the proposed EPA standard conflicts with energy conservation.
- OSTI ID:
- 7313501
- Journal Information:
- Min. Congr. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Min. Congr. J.; (United States) Vol. 60:12; ISSN MCJOA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Atmospheric-- Regulations-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC FURNACES
ELECTRIC POWER
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EXTRACTIVE METALLURGY
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FURNACES
GASEOUS WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROMETALLURGY
INORGANIC ACIDS
METALLURGY
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
POWER
POWER PLANTS
REGULATIONS
SMELTING
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFURIC ACID
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTES