The KCA Carbon Converter is a modular, self-contained unit for converting carbon fines into a fine-dry ash. Dirty-wet carbon fines are fed directly into the roasting chamber, and the resulting ash is fully captured as a dry product. A three-stage exhaust scrubbing system captures mercury to satisfy emission standards of every U.S. state and foreign country. Gold and silver recovery up to 99% has been demonstrated in operation.
The Carbon Converter is designed to process 300 kg of clean-dry carbon per day. Actual throughput depends on carbon composition and moisture content. Two interchangeable bottom sections of the furnace allow semi-continuous operation, easily run by one person through a sophisticated PLC interface.
Batch cycle time is feed-dependent — observed times range from 1 hour to 24 hours. Feeds with high clay content may benefit from agglomeration (done by the operator in a modified concrete drum mixer). Agglomeration increases cycle times but also improves overall yield.
The output is a mix of carbon ash, a small amount of silica sand from the sand-bed hearth, and any non-combustible feed material. The precious-metal-bearing ash can be processed two ways: Option 1 — Direct Smelting; Option 2 — Fine Grinding & Leaching.
Installed footprint with feed system: 7.5 m × 7.5 m including operation and maintenance access. An additional 6 m × 8 m carbon preparation area is recommended.
Electrical: 100 HP (75 kW) max, 40 HP (30 kW) continuous.
Burner: 500,000 BTU/hr (125,000 kcal/hr) on natural gas, propane, or diesel.
Scrubber solution: 20 gal/min (4.6 m³/hr) — pregnant solution, barren solution, or raw water.
Hot exhaust gases are cooled and treated through two wet venturi scrubbers in series, which condense liquid mercury for periodic collection. Exhaust then passes through a sulfur-impregnated carbon bed to capture residual mercury vapor.
Operating costs typically range US $50,000 – $100,000 per year excluding labor, depending on carbon condition. Clean carbon with long furnace runs requires minimal operator time. Dirtier carbon may require more handling.
Lead time: 16–20 weeks from purchase order and down payment, ex-Reno. KCA warrants equipment performance for 12 months after commissioning, including one no-charge follow-up site visit to assess performance.
KCA can run feed-specific testwork before purchase. Ship representative samples to the KCA laboratory in Reno; we analyze for gold, silver, carbon content, moisture, and physical characteristics to recommend optimal operating parameters.
Selected recent projects where KCA delivered this service. All from our portfolio of 500+ engineering projects.
Whether you’re at scoping stage or ready to break ground, KCA has the lab capacity, engineering bench, and EPCM experience to deliver.
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