Thermodynamic considerations of copper smelting

Abstract

AbstractCombining the knowledge of the phase relations with thermodynamic calculations, the basic problems in copper smelting are discussed on the Cu-Fe-S-O-SiO2 system in terms of sulphur-oxygen chemical potential diagrams. During the matte smelting stage, the variation in the activities of Fe3O4 and Cu2O is found to be small, even though the matte is oxidized up to 70 per cent copper. However, when white metal of 70 per cent copper is oxidized to 80 per cent copper matte coexisting with molten copper, drastic variations in such activities, are observed. On the basis of these facts, reasonable explanations are given for the smelting principles involved in both the conventional and newly-developed continuous smelting processes. Dissolution of copper oxide and sulphide, and behaviour of impurities are also elucidated thermodynamically. Resume L'auteur traite du smeltage du cuivre en termes des diagrammes de potentiel chimique soufre-oxygene et des diagrammes de phase du systeme Cu-Fe-S-O-SiO2. Pendant l' e...