The series II sulfuric acid system and the bismuth recovery system from converter smelting gas were completed and put into production, the smelting (refining) main workshop building (including the ancillary span was completed, installation of the 4# converter (major equipment for smelting) and the
anode furnace also commenced, and the construction of the converter heat recovery furnace,
anode furnace disc casting machine and series III oxygen station was basically completed and gradually progressed to equipment installation.
Some specific topics include heat exchange within the working space of an electric nickel anode refining furnace, new casting methods for anode copper, pyrometallurgical refining of copper in an
anode furnace, and minor element control by vacuum calcination and recycling of copper smelter dust.
It's believed a malfunction in the number two
anode furnace resulted in a spill of blister copper.
This latest expansion cost $A88 million and included the sinking of the new Robinson shaft, the installation of Australia's largest autogenous mill, additions to the flotation sections, two new CCD thickeners, an electric slag-cleaning furnace, a new
anode furnace gas cleaning plant, additional electro-refining cells and new evaporation ponds.