No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Abstrac~.The removal of impurities from matte and from copper during c<>ppersmelting is discussedthermodynamically.Two mechanisms are considered: oxidation followed by slagging;and vola.tilic zation. In matte, most of the undesirable impurities such as le~d, antimony, bismuth and arsenic are not removed by oxidation, but rather by volatilization. When white metal and metallic copper are iR coexistence, these impurities are distributed mainly into the copper phase, from which their removal is difficult. Elimination of the various elements from blister copper is discussed, and the behaviour of~ulphur and oxygen in metallic copper is analy,zed thermodynamically.-,~'The behaviour of impurities during copper smelting is of great interest, since it is desirable to retain valuable elements such as the precious metals and to reject undesirable impurities such as lead, bismuth, antimony and arsenic. Except for some statistical data, however, there is little information in the literature on the behaviour of impurities or on the mechanism of their elimination. This paper examines the removal of impurities during copper smelting, based upon available thermodynamic data. Two mechanisms are considered: oxidation followed by slagging; and volatilization. Removal of the impurities from the matte and from the copper are treated separately.

No abstract