Sirosmelt and Isasmelt
A Far More Efficient Way Of Extracting Metals From Ore.
Smelting is a method of extracting pure metal from ore. The ore is heated in a furnace, which uses a great deal of energy. In the early 1970s John Floyd, a CSIRO scientist, invented Sirosmelt. This process uses a lance pipe that forces burning fuel into the molten ore inside the furnace. It’s like blowing a straw into a milkshake and violently mixes up all the molten materials. Lancing uses less energy and releases fewer gasses.
In 1983, Mount Isa Mining (MIM) worked with the CSIRO to develop the Isasmelt lancing process now used for copper and lead extraction in Australia and overseas.
