Major activity is blister copper production from copper concentrate, with pre-concentration of copper-zinc ores, as well as from processed cupriferous raw materials.
Karabashmed ZAO is located in Karabash city, in Chelyabinsk region. It has been managed by Russkaya Mednaya Kompaniya since 2004.
Remodelling of Karabash Copper-Smelting Combine, one of the oldest enterprises of the Urals, was a milestone project of Russkaya Mednaya Kompaniya.
A technologically and ecologically program of modernization was developed to renew the enterprise. It resulted in renewal of metallurgical production in the city of Karabash and in solving environmental issues of the region.
The first modernization stage included putting into operation up-to-date gas and water cleanup systems of Boliden Contech AB Company (Sweden). WSA unit of Haldor Topsoe A.S (Denmark) was constructed to recover sulfur dioxide gas and convert it into marketable sulfuric acid. It was the first time for domestic metallurgical industry when so called «wet catalisys» procedure was implemented. Upon the WSA unit was taken into commercial operation significant reduction of sulphurous anhydride emissions into the atmosphere was registered and maximum permissible discharge for sulphurous anhydride was achieved. Other treatment facilities such as «Frik 5200» bag filter etc. were installed as well.
The second modernization stage was completed in 2006. It included putting into operation Ausmelt copper-smelting furnace (Ausmelt Ltd., Australia) which enabled the enterprise to increase capacity up to 90 thousand tons of blister copper per year (up to 450 thousand tons of mineral raw materials per year). Australian state-of-the-art technology of autogenous smelting in a metallurgical furnace with application of Ausmelt submerged lance features high efficiency and rate of copper extraction from raw materials. Developed autogenous process allows processing metallurgical raw materials consisting extended copper and sulfur fluctuations without additional heat sources (such as coke, coal, natural gas etc.). Due to a furnace construction (metallurgical unit minimal size) it is possible to achieve high efficiency in specific smelting rate of batch mixture. Application of submerged lance improved efficiency and rate of chemical and metallurgical processes and at the same time increased interrepair time of the unit. Such construction allows automation of smelting processes, eliminating manual labor during melts output and mechanizing all production steps.
Apart from copper production, a concentrator plant for processing of mineral raw materials and slag from metallurgical production is included in Karabashmed industrial complex. The plant was put into operation in 2007. The concentrator plant output amounts to 650 thousand tons of charge per year.
In the plant are included: crushing complex Metso Minerals (Finland), disintegrating plant (Korea), flotation plant RIF (Saint Petersburg), and draining plant Outokumpu (Finland), Diemme (Italy).
The concentrator plant operation enabled Karabashmed ZAO to achieve high copper extraction ratio, as well as reach industrial objectives and solve environmental problems. Due to introduced technologies, three commercial products were obtained from the slag: copper concentrate, magnetite concentrate, and mortar sand. All three products are sold to the consumers, and also used in own metallurgical production. By means of that metallurgical production solid waste generation and accumulation is stopped.
Address: 456140, Chelyabinsk region, Karabash city, Osvobozhdeniy Urala St., 27 а
Tel.: +7 (35153) 2-36-10
Fax: +7 (35153) 2-36-45
© 2006-2011 «Russkaya Mednaya Kompaniya»
82, Lunacharskogo st., Ekaterinburg, 620075, Russia
Tel.: +7 (343) 365-29-00, location map
