The Effect of Oxygen Potential on the Sulfide Capacity for Slags Containing Multivalent Species

Abstract

The dependence of sulfide capacity on the oxygen partial pressure for slags containing multivalent species was investigated experimentally using a slag containing vanadium oxide. Copper–slag equilibration experiments were carried out at 1873 K (1600 °C) in the approximate oxygen partial pressure range 10−15.4 to 10−9 atm. The sulfide capacity was found to be strongly dependent on the oxygen potential in this slag system, increasing with the oxygen partial pressure. The sulfide capacity changed by more than two orders of magnitude over the oxygen partial pressure range. The effect of changing oxygen partial pressure was found to be much greater than the effect of changing slag composition at a fixed oxygen partial pressure.