Slag cleaning: The Chilean copper smelter experience

Chile has seven copper smelters, four that are linked to primary producers (three owned by Codelco and one by Disputada) and three custom smelters (tw o owned by Enami and one by Noranda). Each smelter employs a different stra tegy for slag cleaning, thus each smelter obtains different results. This a rticle outlines and compares the different sing-cleaning systems that are c urrently in operation in the Chilean smelters, their strategies, the equipm ent in use, and their experiences.