Method of continuously processing nickel-containing copper sulphide materials

A method of continuously processing nickel-containing copper sulphide materials, the method comprising:

• oxidizing smelting of a dry nickel-containing copper sulphide material along with SiO2 and CaO-containing fluxes and coal at a specific oxygen consumption in a range of 150-240 Nm3 per ton of the dry nickel-containing copper sulphide material in a conversion furnace for conversion to produce blister copper, gases with a concentration of SO2, and a first slag with a sum of iron, nickel, and cobalt that is not more than 30 wt. %, wherein the first slag contains SiO2:CaO in a concentration ratio of 0.4:1 to 3:1;
• depleting the first slag by reduction in a separate reduction furnace, using a mixture of an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrocarbon fuel at an oxygen consumption coefficient (α) in a range from 0.5 to 0.9, while supplying coal in an amount of up to 15% of weight of the first slag produced by the oxidizing smelting, wherein
• α
• =
• V
• O
• 2
• ·
• %
• ⁢
• ⁢
• O
• 2
• +
• V
• air
• ·
• 0.21
• Q
• CxHy
• ·
• K
• CxHy
• ,
• wherein VO2 is an oxygen consumption in the reduction furnace, Nm3/hr., % O2 is a volume fraction of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas, Vair is an airflow to a recovery zone of the reduction furnace, Nm3/hr., QCxHy is a consumption of the hydrocarbon fuel, Nm3/hr., and KCxHy is a coefficient characterizing complete combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel;
• and
• scavenging molten slag within 17-35 minutes from start of the depleting the first slag, in order to produce a second slag and a copper-nickel alloy.