Investigation of Reactive Origin for Attachment of Cu Droplets to Solid Particles

Both primary and secondary copper productions encounter a limitation in the process efficiency due to droplet losses in slags. One of the causes for the mechanical entrainment of these droplets is their interaction with solid spinel particles, hindering the sedimentation of the copper droplets. Prev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Metallurgical and materials transactions. B, Process metallurgy and materials processing science Process metallurgy and materials processing science, 2017-10, Vol.48 (5), p.2459-2468
Main Authors: Bellemans, Inge, De Wilde, Evelien, Claeys, Lisa, De Seranno, Tim, Campforts, Mieke, Blanpain, Bart, Moelans, Nele, Verbeken, Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemical reactions
Chemistry and Materials Science
Copper
Droplets
Entrainment
Materials Science
Metallic Materials
Metallurgy
Nanotechnology
Sedimentation
Slag
Spinel
Structural Materials
Surfaces and Interfaces
Thin Films
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Summary:Both primary and secondary copper productions encounter a limitation in the process efficiency due to droplet losses in slags. One of the causes for the mechanical entrainment of these droplets is their interaction with solid spinel particles, hindering the sedimentation of the copper droplets. Previous experiments with synthetic slags provided insights into this interaction and yielded two possible mechanisms: separately formed droplets and particles become attached to one another due to fierce agitation of the slag and metal phases; or the spinel particles and metal droplets form as the result of a chemical reaction together with a new droplet or alongside a droplet that was already present in the system. This experimental study aims to investigate the hypothesis of the formation of copper droplets sticking to spinel particles due to a chemical reaction further. A slag that is initially free from Cu droplets was prepared. After creating controlled conditions to induce the chemical reaction, the formation of sticking droplets was observed. The results from this experiment therefore confirm the previously proposed reactive mechanism.
ISSN:1073-5615
1543-1916
DOI:10.1007/s11663-017-1051-4