Effect of oxygen blowing on the competitive removal rate of silicon and iron from molten copper

Abstract

The effect of blown oxygen on the competitive removal of impurities from liquid copper was investigated at 1673 K. Silicon and iron, which are the dominant impurities in molten copper, are clearly separated into the slag by oxygen blowing. Since the area of the reaction site for impurities’ oxidation was found to be one of the most influential aspects, the interfacial area for both cases of top-blowing and bottom blowing was carefully estimated by considering bubbles and cavity formation. The removal rate of the impurities in competitive oxidation regime could be theoretically analyzed. By a comparison of the apparent rate constant obtained from the oxidation experiments with that was theoretically calculated, the present kinetic model based on liquid phase mass transfer of impurities could be verified to be valid for the understanding the competitive removal of the impurities from liquid copper. © 2023 The Author(s)