William G. Davenport

Ph.D., University of London, 1964
Professor
The University of Arizona
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Harshbarger Building, Room 103B
Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone: (520) 621-8121
e-mail:wgd@engr.arizona.edu

Teaching Interests:

• Advanced Extractive Metallurgy (MSE 405)
• Materials Engineering Design(MSE 442a - MSE 442b)

Current Research

• Smelter Optimization
  Smelting of copper, nickel and lead is being simulated to determine optimum combinations of fuel, pure oxygen and preheat for near-autothermal smelting. Maximization of sulfur dioxide strength, smelting rate and copper rate and copper recovery with minimum energy consumption are being considered. Experimental studies into slag chemistry and system response times are also being carried out.
  Southwest U.S.A. smelters produce more sulfuric acid than metal. It is essential, therefore, that these smelter acid plants be optimized in terms of energy minimization, gas and liquid flow minimization, corrosion, environmental contamination and acid purity. Experimental and simulation studies are continuing in connection with an industrial plant.

• Maximizing Metal Purity
  Impurity levels in ores are increasing year-by-year. Demand for higher purity metal is also increasing. Efficient and environmentally-acceptable ways must be found, herefore, to remove impurities 9e.g. As, Bi, Sb, Se, Te) during smelting and refining. Laboratory, industrial and simulation studies are being carried out to maximize impurity removal while avoiding adverse impact on the environment.

Principal Publications

• W.G. Davenport, "Copper Extraction from the 60's into the 21st Century" in Copper 99-Cobre 99 (Fourth International Conference), Volume 1, Plenary Lectures, edited by Eltringham, G.A., Piret, N.L. and Sahoo, M., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Warrendale, PA pp. 55-79.
• W.G. Davenport, Jenkins, J., Kennedy, B. and Robinson, T., "Electrolytic Copper Refining-1999 World Tankhouse Operating Data" in Copper 99-Cobre 99 (Fourth International Conference), Volume 3, Electrorefining and Electrowinning of Copper, edited by Dutrizac, J.E., Ji, J. and Ramachandran, V., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Warrendale, PA pp. 3-76.
• J. Jenkins, Davenport, W.G., Kennedy, B. and Robinson, T. "Electroytic Copper - Leach, Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning World Operating Data" in Copper 99-Cobre 99 (Fourth International Conference), Volume 4, Hydrometallurgy of Copper, edited by Young, S.K., Dreisinger, D.B., Hackl, R.P. and Dixon, D.G., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Warrendale, PA pp. 493-566.
• W.G. Davenport "Extractive Metallurgy of Copper at the New Millennium", Metallurgical Review of MMIJ, 16(2), pp. 151-168.
• W.G. Davenport, D.M. Jones, M.J. King and E.H. Partelpoeg, "Flash Smelting", in preparation for publication in 2000, Elsevier Science Press, London.
• T. Robinson and W.G. Davenport, "World Survey of Copper Solvent Extraction/Electrowinning Plants",SME Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, March 1998.
• D.M. Jones and W.G. Davenport, "Minimization of Dust Generation in Outokumpu Flash Smelting", in EPD Congress 1996, edited by G.W. Warren, TMS, Warrendale, PA, 81-94, 1996.
• A.K. Biswas and W.G. Davenport, Extractive Metallurgy of Copper, 3rd edition, Peramon Press, 1994, reprinted in 1996.
• J.E. Schloen and W.G. Davenport, "Survey of World Copper Refining Tankhouses", in Copper/Cobre 1995, Santiago, Chile, November 1995.