en.Wedoany.com Reported - Southwest Copper successfully produced its first batch of crude bismuth alloy in early June 2026 at its high-bismuth lead anode slime resource comprehensive recovery project. The project commenced construction on October 10, 2025, and completed system feeding and smooth operation on May 27, 2026, marking the full integration of the entire core process flow and officially entering the critical trial production phase. This output achieved efficient separation and recovery of rare and valuable metals such as bismuth, gold, silver, and antimony from the anode slime.
Southwest Copper is one of China's large-scale copper smelting enterprises, affiliated with China Copper Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, primarily engaged in the production of cathode copper, gold, silver, and precious and rare metals. High-bismuth lead anode slime is a byproduct generated during the copper electrorefining process, containing various valuable metals such as bismuth, gold, silver, and antimony, with traditional recovery processes having low efficiency. This project adopts a combined pyrometallurgical-hydrometallurgical process, aiming to fully utilize resources to the maximum extent and enhance the comprehensive recovery rate of precious and rare metals.
The project construction lasted seven months. During the construction period, the company adhered to the management philosophy of "safety resets to zero every day," coordinating the advancement of design planning, civil construction, equipment installation, and system commissioning. On May 2, 2026, the refractory lining masonry work for the project's core equipment, the bismuth converter, was completed. The construction team installed thousands of special-shaped refractory bricks with millimeter-level precision, creating preconditions for ignition and production. Subsequently, the company collaborated with multiple participating units to complete furnace drying and curing, equipment joint debugging, process verification, and personnel hands-on training, ensuring a smooth transition from the construction phase to the production phase. On May 27, 2026, the project's entire production system was officially fed with materials. After operational verification, the system parameters were controllable and the equipment was reliable.
The successful production of the first batch of crude bismuth alloy validated the scientific nature of this process route and the reliability of its engineering implementation. After commissioning, this project further improved Southwest Copper's dual-wheel-driven industrial layout of "resource development + recycling recovery," effectively enhancing the resource utilization rate of strategic precious and rare metals such as bismuth, gold, silver, and antimony, extending the industrial chain, and revitalizing secondary renewable resources. This move provides a practical case for the green and low-carbon transformation of the copper smelting industry, while also strengthening China's internal supply capacity for the security of precious and rare metal resources.
According to Southwest Copper's plan, the next step will be to anchor the goal of building a world-class copper smelting model plant, continuously optimizing equipment debugging, production processes, and full-process control, promoting stable, high, and quality production, and striving to create a benchmark project for the comprehensive recovery of precious and rare metals in the industry.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
