Bureau of Mines / Minerals yearbook: Metals and minerals 1977
Year 1977, Volume 1 (1977)
Schroeder, Harold J.; Jolly, James H.
Copper, pp. 329-370 PDF (4.8 MB)
334 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1977 sions proceeded on schedule. In addition to the strike-caused loss of production at ASARCO's three copper smelters, there was also curtaihnents in production during adverse weather conditions to remain in compliance with environmental control requirements. Kennecott commenced the phaseout of the old Utah copper smelter and the new smelter modification project began to come on line in September. The transition was being made with insignificant loss of production. The changeover was to be completed by mid-1978. The McGill, Nev., smelter reopened in January, following a 5month closure in the previous year, and continued full scale operation throughout the year. The Phelps Dodge Hidalgo smölter oper ated for the first full year and produced 82,500 tons of copper anodes, mainly from the Tyrone, N. Mex., concentrator, compared with 37,90(1 tons in 1976, when it operated for only half of the year. Installation of a second acid plant and other facilities was completed in November on schedule. San Manuel smelter operations of Magma Copper Co., were adversely affected during the fourth quarter of 1976 and the first quarter of 1977 by an unusually high number of intermittent curtailments required for air pollution control during atmospheric inversions. The problems were corrected by the end of the first quarter of 1977, and production returned to normal by the end of April. Periodic curtailments of smelter pro duction during the year to stay within sulfur dioxide emission limits during unfavorable atmospheric conditions resulted in some loss of production. In mid-year, Magma undertook conversion of its reverbertory furnaces to burn coal as a primary fuel. The conversion was expected to be completed in 1979. Refined Production.—In 1977 production of refrned copper from primary materials decreased 3% to 1.50 million tons. Refined copper produced from scrap was 385,418 tons compared with 375,155 tons in 1976. Total production of refined copper in the United States was 1.88 million tons, 80% derived from primary and 20% from scrap sources. The Anaconda Company closed the Arbiter plant, a hydrometallurgical refinery at Anaconda, Mont., for an indeterminate period. The feed that had been designated for treatment at the Arbiter plant was processed at the company's nearby conventional smelter, Duval. Corp., continued testing of its new CLEAR process (an acronym for copper, leach, electrolysis, and regeneration) plant for the electrolytic production of copper crystals. The patented CLEAR process creates no solid, liquid, or gaseous pollution. The plant, designed to produce 44,000 short tons of copper crystals annually, was running at about 85% of design capacity. Copper Sulfate.—Copper sulfate was produced from electrolytic tankhouse solutions, blister copper, and secondary metal by companies with plants located as follows: Company Plant location TheAnacondaCompany GreatFalls,Mont. ChevronChemicalCo Ricbmond,Calif. CitiesServiceCo Copperhill,Tenn. PhelpsDodgeRefiningCorp LaurelHill,N.Y., El Paso, Tex. Vanwaters&Rogerslnc Wallace,Idaho. Copper sulfate production decreased for the fourth consecutive year to 30,100 tons, the smallest quantity since 1934. Shipments including consumption by producing companies increased 2% over those of 1976 and exceeded production by 857 tons, drawing down stocks from the relatively high level of 8,557 tons at yearend 1976 to 7,700 tons at yearend 1977~ Of the total shipments of 30,957 tons, reports indicated that 16,487 tons was for agricultural uses, 12,799 tons was for industrial uses, and 1,671 tons was for other uses. Byproduct Sulfuric Acid.—Sulfuric acid was produced at 14 copper smelters from the sulfur contained in offgases, and output increased for the 10th consecutive year from 2,281,600 tons to a record 2,357,400 tons on a 100% acid basis. SECONDARY COPPER AND BRASS Domestic recovery of copper in all forms from all classes of purchased scrap totaled 1.20 million tons in 1977, a 4% increase over the 1976 total. Recovery from copper-base scrap advanced from 1.11 million tons to 1.16 million tons. Brass mills accounted for
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