Method and apparatus for feeding solid material and oxidizing gas into a suspension smelting furnace

1. An apparatus for feeding finely divide solids, containing at least sulphidic metal concentrate, and oxygenous oxidizing gas into a suspension smelting furnace, said apparatus comprising elements for conducting solids and oxidizing gas into the suspension smelting furnace, a feed orifice of the suspension smelting furnace through which solids and oxidizing gas are fed into a reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace containing a suspension creation chamber for a suspension containing solids and oxidizing gas in which chamber the solids and at least part of the oxidizing gas can be mixed to form a suspension before they flow into the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace so that the suspension creation chamber is, with respect to a concentrate supply conduit, connected to the feed orifice of the suspension smelting furnace at its opposite end in order that the suspension formed of solids and oxidizing gas has free access to flow from the suspension creation chamber directly to the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein nozzles are installed in a wall of the suspension creation chamber at varying distance from the feed orifice of the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace in order to conduct oxidizing gas into the suspension creation chamber.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein nozzles installed in a wall of the suspension creation chamber, at an essentially equal distance from the feed orifice of the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace, are installed at essentially equal distances from each other.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the nozzles installed in the wall of the suspension creation chamber have nozzle angles within the range 30-90 degrees with respect to the suspension flowing direction.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the nozzles installed in the wall of the suspension creation chamber have nozzle angles with respect to the suspension flowing direction dependent on the distance of the nozzles from the feed orifice of the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace, and further wherein the size of the nozzle angles with respect to the suspension flowing direction is gradually reduced and is smallest with nozzles that are installed nearest to the orifice of the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the nozzle angle of the nozzles installed in the wall of the suspension creation chamber with respect to the suspension flowing direction is smallest with nozzles located nearest to the feed orifice of the reaction chamber of the suspension smelting furnace.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein an area in the suspension creation chamber that is provided with nozzles constitutes at least 80% of the total length of the wall of the suspension creation chamber.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein an area in the suspension creation chamber that is provided with nozzles constitutes at least 90% of the total length of the wall of the suspension creation chamber.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension creation chamber is essentially circular in cross-section.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension creation chamber is essentially annular in cross-section.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension creation chamber is not overpressurized.