Selenium as a new decopperization approach for steel scrap

Abstract

• Copper selenide was formed and located on the oxides after the addition of selenium into the liquid Fe-Cu alloy. • Copper selenide was massively detected in the slag along with the alumina or (Mg, Fe)Al 2 O 4 -spinel. • The detected copper selenide indicate that selenium may be considered as a sufficient approach for the decopperization. Selenium was added into the molten Fe-Cu alloy at 1600 °C to test its decopperization possibility. After the addition of selenium into the liquid Fe-Cu alloy, copper selenide was found to deposit on the particle with a complex composition that located on the solidified alloy sample. Furthermore, a secondary metallurgical ladle slag with a high content of alumina was added into the liquid Fe-Cu alloy after the addition of selenium. Thereby the decopperization efficiency was found to be enhanced by the addition of slag. The copper selenide was massively observed in the slag along with the oxides (alumina or (Mg, Fe)Al 2 O 4 -spinel). The formation of the spinel was predicted by the FactSage software.