Method for processing sulphide concentrates and sulphide ores into raw material

A method for processing sulphide concentrates and sulphide ores into raw metal within the same process unit, in which method the feed composed of the sulphide material to be treated, flux and oxidizing gases, is processed in the smelting zone of the process unit into a molten slag phase and molten sulphide matte, and where the molten slag phase and molten sulphide matte are both discharged through specific tap holes and wherein the molten matte removed from the furnace is solidified into solid particles, and the resulting solid matte is converted into raw metal, comprising returning finely-ground, solid matte back into the process unit through a converting shaft together with the flux and oxidizing gases in order to convert the matte into raw metal, and creating in a settler of a converting zone an equilibrium between two molten phases and discharging exhaust gases both from the converting zone and a smelting zone through a common uptake shaft, and preventing mixing together of the molten phases located in the settler of the converting zone and in a settler of the converting zone and in a settler of the smelting zone at least partially.