Saturation of copper-iron mattes with solid magnetite

Abstract

Conditions which lead to the saturation of simple copper-iron mattes with solid magnetite have been evaluated in this study. Diagrams have been developed which illustrate quantitatively the surface of saturation of matte with magnetite in the phase and stability diagrams for the Cu-Fe-S-0 system at 1468 K and 1 atm total pressure. Conditions fo. simultaneous saturation of matte with magnetite and gas (P so2 + P s2= 1 atm) have also been estimated by extrapolation of the data on magnetitesaturated mattes. Comparison of the results with compositions of mattes from oxygen-enriched smelters indicates that these smelters operate at magnetite saturation under conditions close to equilibrium. Conditions during oxygen-enriched smelting can be predicted from the diagrams given in this paper and correlation equations for the oxygen and sulfur concentrations in magnetitesaturated matte which were previously developed from the experimental data.