Clean, cost-effective smelting with a high intensity submerged lance.

Xstrata Technology’s ISASMELT™ provides an innovative, high intensity, yet low cost submerged lance smelting process that is simple to operate and that can be used for a range of applications including copper and lead smelting.

ISASMELT™ is installed in major lead and copper smelting and converting operations around the world, including Australia, USA, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, India, Malaysia, China and Zambia. More than six million tonnes of copper-containing materials are smelted each year with ISASMELT™ technology. Further plants are under construction in Peru and Kazakhstan.

One of the key strengths of the technology is the growing ISASMELT™ family itself. Xstrata Technology provides on going support to licensees following commissioning of plants and encourages frequent interaction between our own team and those of the clients, as well as interaction between client teams. We hold regular licensee workshops during which technical personnel from smelters all around the world gather to compare operating techniques and discuss how to improve their profitability further. The most recent of these was held in June 2012 in Livingston, Zambia. Participants came from Australia, Belgium, Chile, China, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, USA, Zambia and Peru

Xstrata technology produces the BBOC™ - Bottom Blown Oxygen Cupel, a major advance in precious metal refining technology. The technology injects oxygen directly into the reaction zone of the cupel, improving process performance and oxygen utilisation. The technology is well suited to most refining duties where base metals are selectively oxidised and eliminated from precious metal product, such as slimes bullions, pgm bearing feeds, high purity silver refining and retorted parkes crust. BBOC™ technology is installed in over a dozen sites worldwide (BBOC™ Brochure).