Equilibria between silica-saturated iron silicate slags and molten Cu-As, Cu-Sb, and Cu-Bi Alloys

Abstract

The solubilities of copper, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth in silica-saturated iron silicate slag, equilibrated with molten copper which included the corresponding element, were measured at temperatures 1473 and 1523 K under oxygen pressures ranging from 10−1 to 10−7 atm. The results confirm that copper is dissolved as CuO0.5 in silica-saturated fayalite slag. Dissolution of As, Sb, and Bi was found to be dependent upon the oxygen potential, suggesting oxidic rather than atomic dissolution. The data obtained also support models in which these elements exist in the slag mainly as two different types of oxides, but occasionally these oxides coexist with neutral atoms. Based on these models, equations were obtained that related the solubilities of these elements in the slags to the oxygen potential in them. The knowledge obtained in this investigation will be helpful in eliminating deleterious minor elements in copper smelting.