Technical principle and process design
PSA (pressure swing adsorption) oxygen production technology is based on the selective adsorption characteristics of molecular sieves for nitrogen. It achieves oxygen and nitrogen separation through pressurized adsorption-decompression desorption cycle, and produces industrial oxygen with a purity of 93%±3%. As the core material, the pore structure and adsorption capacity of molecular sieves directly affect the separation efficiency. Lithium-based zeolite molecular sieves have become the mainstream choice because of their nitrogen-oxygen separation ratio of more than 200:1. The system is usually equipped with dual adsorption towers for alternating operation, and PLC accurately controls the switching of pneumatic valves to ensure continuous oxygen supply. The process includes compressed air pretreatment (oil removal, dust removal, cold drying), adsorption separation, intelligent control and other modules, which are adapted to the high stability requirements of gold smelting.
Application value of gold smelting scene
Improve metal extraction rate: oxygen-rich environment (oxygen concentration ≥ 93%) can enhance the efficiency of oxidation reaction, which is used in cyanidation gold extraction process, accelerates the oxidation and decomposition of sulfides in gold ore, and increases the leaching rate of precious metals by 15%-20%.
Optimize combustion efficiency: inject oxygen-rich air into the smelting furnace to make the fuel burn more fully, increase the furnace temperature by 200-300℃, shorten the smelting cycle by 25%, and reduce the consumption of coke.
Reducing impurity interference: precise oxygen control reduces sulfide residues, avoids the interference of impurity elements (such as arsenic and antimony) on subsequent electrolysis processes, and improves refining purity.
Environmental protection upgrade: Compared with the traditional cryogenic method, PSA technology has no liquid oxygen storage risk, and can reduce SO₂ emissions generated by sulfide combustion, which meets the green mine standards.
Core competitive advantages of the industry
Significant economic efficiency:
The energy consumption cost is only 30%-50% of the cryogenic method, and the unit oxygen production cost is as low as 0.8-1.2 yuan/Nm³. The modular design supports single-unit to multi-unit parallel connection, with an initial investment 40% lower than that of traditional equipment, and expansion only requires adding modules.
Intelligent operation and maintenance:
The IoT remote monitoring system analyzes parameters such as molecular sieve adsorption efficiency and humidity changes in real time, and AI dynamically optimizes the adsorption cycle, reducing the failure rate by 30%.
The standardized interface design enables online replacement of faulty modules, reducing downtime by more than 60%.
Environmental adaptability:
The seismic structure and anti-corrosion coating design adapt to the harsh working conditions and high dust environment of mines.
The high-altitude optimization algorithm ensures the stability of oxygen concentration and meets the needs of mining areas with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters.
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Industry challenges and technological breakthrough directions
Material performance bottleneck:
The adsorption capacity of molecular sieves decreases by 20% in high humidity (>60%RH) environments, and hydrophobic coatings or composite adsorbents need to be developed to extend the life to more than 8 years.
The thermal stability of molecular sieves in high-temperature smelting scenarios is insufficient, and new materials with a temperature resistance of more than 150°C need to be developed.
Energy efficiency optimization path:
Waste heat recovery technology converts compressor heat into electrical energy, and the overall energy efficiency of the system is improved by 18%.
The photovoltaic-energy storage power supply system is adapted to off-grid mining areas, achieving a 40% reduction in carbon footprint.
Process customization requirements:
Develop an oxygen concentration dynamic adjustment module (±1% accuracy) to adapt to different ore grades and smelting stages.
Integrate an oxygen pressure closed-loop control system to meet the differentiated pressure requirements of biological oxidation tanks, roasting furnaces, etc. (0.2-0.6MPa).
Future development trends
Intelligent upgrade: 5G+edge computing technology realizes adaptive regulation of oxygen concentration throughout the smelting process, and builds a digital twin system of "oxygen supply-smelting-exhaust gas treatment".
Low-carbon metallurgical ecology: Linked with carbon capture technology, oxygen production byproducts (nitrogen-rich gas) are used for inert protection to promote the process of carbon neutrality in mines.
Global standard penetration: Export equipment must comply with ISO 13485 and CE certification, promote domestic molecular sieves to replace imports, and increase the localization rate of the supply chain to 80%.
