Mitsubishi process

metallurgy

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June 30, 2026

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The Mitsubishi process is a continuous smelting and converting operation used in metallurgy, specifically for refining metals like copper. It involves a series of stationary furnaces where molten material is processed sequentially. Oxygen lances and burners are used in the initial smelting furnace, with slag and matte flowing to a slag-cleaning furnace. High-grade matte then moves to a converting furnace where oxygen-enriched air is blown in, utilizing exothermic heat to maintain the reaction temperature. This method is an advancement in metal refining, aiming for efficiency in processing.1

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metallurgy
Matte smelting
TBRC (top-blown rotary converter), and Mitsubishi processes. The Noranda reactor is a horizontal cylindrical furnace with a depression in the centre where the metal collects and a raised hearth at one end where the slag is run off. Pelletized unroasted sulfide concentrate is poured into the molten bath at one…
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TBRC (top-blown rotary converter), and Mitsubishi processes. The Noranda reactor is a horizontal cylindrical furnace with a depression in the centre where the metal collects and a raised hearth at one end where the slag is run off. Pelletized unroasted sulfide concentrate is poured into the molten bath at one…
Read More