Investigation on the Copper Content of Matte Smelting Slag in Peirce-Smith Converter

The copper contents and its existing forms in the slags during the slag-making stage of Peirce-Smith converters in Guixi Smelter, Jiangxi Province, China have been investigated. The investigation was based on plant trials with the corresponding thermodynamic calculations and kinetic considerations. From the plant data, the total copper content in the slags was in the range of 2% to 8% (mass fraction). The mechanical entrainment of matte drops has been found to be the main cause of the copper loss. The suspension index, defined as the ratio of the mass fraction of copper in suspended matte drops in the slag to that in bulk of the matte phase, has been adopted to quantify the matte entrainment. The values of this parameter estimated in this work have been found mainly within a range of 2.5%-8.0%. The Fe₃O₄ content in the slag has been estimated to be the most important factor, among others, influencing the separation of slag with matte and, consequently, the copper loss from the slag.