Determination of Gibbs Energy of Formation of Molybdenum-Boron Binary System by Electromotive Force Measurement Using Solid Electrolyte

The standard Gibbs energies of formation of Mo₂B, ??MoB, Mo₂B₅, and MoB₄ in the molybdenum-boron binary system were determined by measuring electromotive forces of galvanic cells using an Y₂O₃-stabilized ZrO₂ solid oxide electrolyte. The results are as follows: $$ \begin{aligned} \Updelta_{\text{f}} {\text{G}}^\circ \left( {{\text{Mo}}_{2} {\text{B}}} \right)/{\text{J}}\,{\text{mol}}^{ - 1} & = - 193100 + 44.10T \pm 700\left( {1198{\text{ K to }}1323{\text{ K}}\left( {925^\circ {\text{C to }}1050^\circ {\text{C}}} \right)} \right) \\ \Updelta_{\text{f}} {\text{G}}^\circ (\alpha {\text{MoB}})/{\text{J}}\,{\text{mol}}^{ - 1} & = - 164000 + 26.45T \pm 700\left( {1213{\text{ K to }}1328{\text{ K}}\left( {940^\circ {\text{C to }}1055^\circ {\text{C}}} \right)} \right) \\ \Updelta_{\text{f}} {\text{G}}^\circ \left( {{\text{Mo}}_{2} {\text{B}}_{5} } \right)/{\text{J}}\,{\text{mol}}^{ - 1} & = - 622500 + 117.0T \pm 3000\left( {1205{\text{ K to }}1294{\text{ K}}\left( {932^\circ {\text{C to }}1021^\circ {\text{C}}} \right)} \right) \\ \Updelta_{\text{f}} {\text{G}}^\circ \left( {{\text{MoB}}_{4} } \right)/{\text{J}}\,{\text{mol}}^{ - 1} & = - 387300 + 93.53T \pm 3000\left( {959{\text{ K to }}1153{\text{ K}}\left( {686^\circ {\text{C to }}880^\circ {\text{C}}} \right)} \right) \\ \end{aligned} $$ where the standard pressure is 1 bar (100 kPa).     

Effect of Slag Composition on the Concentration of Al2O3 in the Inclusions in Si-Mn-killed Steel

The thermodynamic equilibria between CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-CaF₂-MgO(-MnO) slag and Fe-1.5 mass pct Mn-0.5 mass pct Si-0.5 mass pct Cr melt was investigated at 1873 K (1600 °C) in order to understand the effect of slag composition on the concentration of Al₂O₃ in the inclusions in Si-Mn-killed steels. The composition of the inclusions were mainly equal to (mol pct MnO)/(mol pct SiO₂) = 0.8(±0.06) with Al₂O₃ content that was increased from about 10 to 40 mol pct by increasing the basicity of slag (CaO/SiO₂ ratio) from about 0.7 to 2.1. The concentration ratio of the inclusion components, \( {{X_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }} \cdot X_{\text{MnO}} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{X_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }} \cdot X_{\text{MnO}} } {X_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {X_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }} }} \) , and the activity ratio of the steel components, \( {{a_{\text{Al}}^{2} \cdot a_{\text{Mn}} \cdot a_{\text{O}}^{2} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{a_{\text{Al}}^{2} \cdot a_{\text{Mn}} \cdot a_{\text{O}}^{2} } {a_{\text{Si}} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {a_{\text{Si}} }} \) , showed a good linear relationship on a logarithmic scale, indicating that the activity coefficient ratio of the inclusion components, \( {{\gamma_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{i} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\gamma_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{i} } {\left( {\gamma_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{i} \cdot \gamma_{\text{MnO}}^{i} } \right)}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left( {\gamma_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{i} \cdot \gamma_{\text{MnO}}^{i} } \right)}} \) , was not significantly changed. From the slag-steel-inclusion multiphase equilibria, the concentration of Al₂O₃ in the inclusions was expressed as a linear function of the activity ratio of the slag components, \( {{a_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{s} \cdot a_{\text{MnO}}^{s} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{a_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{s} \cdot a_{\text{MnO}}^{s} } {a_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{s} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {a_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{s} }} \) on a logarithmic scale. Consequently, a compositional window of the slag for obtaining inclusions with a low liquidus temperature in the Si-Mn-killed steel treated in an alumina ladle is recommended.     

The diffusion and solubility of oxygen in solid nickel

Solid-state electrochemical measurements using various experimental procedures were made with the double cell: $$ Ni + NiO|ZrO_2 + Y_2 O_3 |Ni + \underline O |ZrO_2 + Y_2 O_3 |Ni + NiO $$ to determine the diffusivity and thermodynamic functions of oxygen dissolved in solid nickel. Non-steady state diffusion of oxygen in the specimen was caused by applying a preselected potential between the reference and specimen electrodes and was monitored by measuring time-dependent potentials and/or currents. The following results were obtained for the diffusivity of oxygen and the solubility of oxygen in nickel in equilibrium with NiO: $$D{\text{ = 4}}{\text{.9 }} \times {\text{ 10}}^{{\text{ - 2}}} {\text{ exp}}\left( {{\text{ - }}\frac{{{\text{164 kJ/mole}}}}{{{\text{R}}T}}} \right){\text{cm}}^{\text{2}} /{\text{sec (850 to 1400 }}{}^{\text{o}}{\text{C)}}$$ $$C_{\text{O}}^s {\text{ = 8}}{\text{.3 exp}}\left( { - \frac{{55{\text{kJ/mole}}}}{{{\text{R}}T}}} \right){\text{at}}{\text{. pct (800 to 1000 }}{}^{\text{o}}{\text{C)}}$$ The thermodynamic and transport behaviors of oxygen in solid nickel were fairly well described by a simple quasi-regular model and an interstitial diffusion model, respectively.     

Kinetic Study and Mathematical Model of Hemimorphite Dissolution in Low Sulfuric Acid Solution at High Temperature

The dissolution kinetics of hemimorphite with low sulfuric acid solution was investigated at high temperature. The dissolution rate of zinc was obtained as a function of dissolution time under the experimental conditions where the effects of sulfuric acid concentration, temperature, and particle size were studied. The results showed that zinc extraction increased with an increase in temperature and sulfuric acid concentration and with a decrease in particle size. A mathematical model able to describe the process kinetics was developed from the shrinking core model, considering the change of the sulfuric acid concentration during dissolution. It was found that the dissolution process followed a shrinking core model with “ash” layer diffusion as the main rate-controlling step. This finding was supported with a linear relationship between the apparent rate constant and the reciprocal of squared particle radius. The reaction order with respect to sulfuric acid concentration was determined to be 0.7993. The apparent activation energy for the dissolution process was determined to be 44.9 kJ/mol in the temperature range of 373 K to 413 K (100 °C to 140 °C). Based on the shrinking core model, the following equation was established: $$ 1.21\ln \left( {1 - 0.83x} \right) - \left[ {1.02\ln \frac{{0.35 + \left( {1 - x} \right)^{{{2 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {2 3}} \right. \kern-0pt} 3}}} - 0.59\left( {1 - x} \right)^{{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}} \right. \kern-0pt} 3}}} }}{{0.35 + \left( {1 - x} \right)^{{{2 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {2 3}} \right. \kern-0pt} 3}}} + 1.18\left( {1 - x} \right)^{{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}} \right. \kern-0pt} 3}}} }} + 3.52\arctan \left( {1.96\left( {1 - x} \right)^{{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}} \right. \kern-0pt} 3}}} - 0.58} \right)} \right] + 2.06 = 42,192.59{\text{e}}^{{ - \frac{44,900}{{{\text{R}}T}}}} t. $$      

Mass spectrometric determination of activities for alloys with complex vapor species: Bi-Pb and Bi-Tl

For solutions from which complex species vaporize (Bi₂, Si₂, Al₂O, Sb₄, and so forth) new methods of determining the thermodynamic properties from mass spectrometric data are demonstrated. In order to test the feasibility of these new techniques, experiments have been carried out on the liquid Bi-Pb and Bi-Tl systems for which adequate thermodynamic data are available. In evaluating the thermodynamic properties, the ion current ratiosI _Pb ⁺/IBi₂/+ andI _Tl ⁺/IBi₂/+ were employed,e.g. $$\log {\text{ }}\gamma _{{\text{Bi}}} {\text{ = - }}\mathop {\int {\frac{{N_{Pb} }}{{1{\text{ + }}N_{Pb} }}d} }\limits_{N_{Bi} = 1}^{N_{{\text{Bi}}} = N_{Bi} } {\text{ }}\left\{ {{\text{log}}\frac{{{\text{1}}_{{\text{Pb}}}^{\text{ + }} {\text{ }}N_{Bi}^2 }}{{I_{Bi2}^ + {\text{ }}N_{Pb} }}} \right\}$$ Measuring these particular ion current ratios eliminates errors resulting from the fragmentation of the complex vapor species in evaluating the thermodynamic properties. A dimer-monomer technique, which corrects for fragmentation, was also demonstrated. The results using these two independent approaches are in good agreement with each other as well as with previous investigations. The activity coefficients in both systems adhere to the quadratic formalism over large composition ranges,e.g. $$\begin{gathered} \log {\text{ }}\gamma _{{\text{Pb}}} {\text{ = - 0}}{\text{.255 }}N_{Bi}^2 {\text{ }}N_{{\text{Bi}}} {\text{< 0}}{\text{.8}} \hfill \\ \log {\text{ }}\gamma _{{\text{Tl}}} {\text{ = - 0}}{\text{.805 }}N_{Bi}^2 {\text{ }}N_{{\text{Bi}}} {\text{< 0}}{\text{.7}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$      

Surface Tension of Liquid Fe-O Alloys: Revisiting Belton’s Two-Step Adsorption Model

The effect of oxygen adsorption on the surface tension of liquid iron was investigated using the constrained drop method. Experiments were carried out at 1823 K and 1873 K (1550 °C and 1600 °C) under a CO₂-H₂ gas mixture. The experimental results were interpreted using the Langmuir ideal adsorption model and Belton’s two-step adsorption model; the latter model showed better agreement with the experimental results. According to the two-step model, the surface tension of liquid Fe-O alloys at 1823 K and 1873 K (1550 °C and 1600 °C) can be respectively expressed as follows: $$ \sigma = 1882 - 260[0.25\ln (1 + 2407a_{\text{O}} ) + 0.75\ln (1 + 72a_{\text{O}} )]\quad \left[ {T = 1823\,{\text{K}}\left( {1550\,^\circ {\text{C}}} \right)} \right], $$ $$ \sigma = 1834 - 267[0.25\ln (1 + 1445a_{\text{O}} ) + 0.75\ln (1 + 46a_{\text{O}} )]\quad \left[ {T = 1873\,{\text{K}}\left( {1600\,^\circ {\text{C}}} \right)} \right]. $$      

Reaction Mechanism and Kinetics of Enargite Oxidation at Roasting Temperatures

Roasting of enargite (Cu₃AsS₄) in the temperature range of 648?K to 898?K (375?°C to 625?°C) in atmospheres containing variable amounts of oxygen has been studied by thermogravimetric methods. From the experimental results of weight loss/gain data and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of partially reacted samples, the reaction mechanism of the enargite oxidation was determined, which occurred in three sequential stages:

1. $4{\text{Cu}}_{ 3} {\text{AsS}}_{ 4} \left( {\text{s}} \right){\text{ + 13O}}_{ 2} \left( {\text{g}} \right){\text{ = As}}_{ 4} {\text{O}}_{ 6} \left( {\text{g}} \right){\text{ + 6Cu}}_{ 2} {\text{S}}\left( {\text{s}} \right){\text{ + 10SO}}_{ 2} \left( {\text{g}} \right) $
2. $ 6{\text{Cu}}_{ 2} {\text{S}}\left( {\text{s}} \right){\text{ + 9O}}_{ 2} \left( {\text{g}} \right){\text{ = 6Cu}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}\left( {\text{s}} \right){\text{ + 6SO}}_{ 2} \left( {\text{g}} \right) $
3. $ 6{\text{Cu}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}\left( {\text{s}} \right){\text{ + 3O}}_{ 2} \left( {\text{g}} \right){\text{ = 12CuO}}\left( {\text{s}} \right) $

The three reactions occurred sequentially, each with constant rate, and they were affected significantly by temperature and partial pressure of oxygen. The kinetics of the first stage were analyzed by using the model X?=?k ₁ t. The first stage reaction was on the order of 0.9 with respect to oxygen partial pressure and the activation energy was 44?kJ/mol for the temperature range of 648?K to 898?K (375?°C to 625?°C).     

Self-diffusion of copper in Cu−Al solid solutions

Self-diffusion coefficients of copper in Cu?Al solid solutions in the concentration interval 0 to 19 at. pct Al and in the temperature range 800° to 1040°C have been determined by the residual activity method using the isotope Cu⁶⁴. The values of the self-diffusion coefficients in the concentration interval 0 to 14.5 at. pct Al satisfy the Arrhenius relation and their temperature dependence can be expressed by the following equations $$\eqalign{ & D_{Cu}^{Cu} = \left( {0.43_{ - 0.11}^{ + 0.15} } \right) exp \left( { - {{48,500 \pm 700} \over {RT}}} \right) cm^2 /\sec \cr & D_{Cu - 2.80 at. pct Al}^{Cu} = \left( {0.46_{ - 0.16}^{ + 0.23} } \right) exp \left( { - {{48,000 \pm 900} \over {RT}}} \right) cm^2 /\sec \cr & D_{Cu - 5.50 at. pct Al}^{Cu} = \left( {0.30_{ - 0.07}^{ + 0.09} } \right) exp \left( { - {{47,000 \pm 600} \over {RT}}} \right) cm^2 /\sec \cr & D_{Cu - 8.83 at. pct Al}^{Cu} = \left( {0.46_{ - 0.09}^{ + 0.11} } \right) exp \left( { - {{47,100 \pm 500} \over {RT}}} \right) cm^2 /\sec \cr & D_{Cu - 11.7 at. pct Al}^{Cu} = \left( {0.61_{ - 0.13}^{ + 0.17} } \right) exp \left( { - {{47,200 \pm 600} \over {RT}}} \right) cm^2 /\sec \cr & D_{Cu - 14.5 at. pct Al}^{Cu} = \left( {4.2_{ - 1.5}^{ + 2.2} } \right) exp \left( { - {{51,110 \pm 1000} \over {RT}}} \right) cm^2 /\sec \cr} $$ An analysis of the results leads to the conclusion that, in the concentration interval 0 to 11.7 at. pct Al, the frequency factor and activation enthalpy concentration dependences can be described by the following equations whereD _0Cu ^Cu and ΔH _Cu ^Cu are diffusion characteristics for self-diffusion in pure copper,X _Al is the atomic percent of aluminum, andK andB are experimental constants.     

On the Prediction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Martensite Temperatures in Medium Manganese Steels

A new composition-based method for calculating the α-martensite start temperature in medium manganese steel is presented and uses a regular solution model to accurately calculate the chemical driving force for α-martensite formation, \( \Delta G_{\text{Chem}}^{\gamma \to \alpha } \). In addition, a compositional relationship for the strain energy contribution during martensitic transformation was developed using measured Young’s moduli (E) reported in literature and measured values for steels produced during this investigation. An empirical relationship was developed to calculate Young’s modulus using alloy composition and was used where dilatometry literature did not report Young’s moduli. A comparison of the \( \Delta G_{\text{Chem}}^{\gamma \to \alpha } \) normalized by dividing by the product of Young’s modulus, unconstrained lattice misfit squared (δ ²), and molar volume (Ω) with respect to the measured α-martensite start temperatures, \( M_{\text{S}}^{\alpha } \), produced a single linear relationship for 42 alloys exhibiting either lath or plate martensite. A temperature-dependent strain energy term was then formulated as \( \Delta G_{\text{str}}^{\gamma \to \alpha } \left( {{\text{J}}/{\text{mol}}} \right) = E\varOmega \delta^{2} (14.8 - 0.013T) \), which opposed the chemical driving force for α-martensite formation. \( M_{\text{S}}^{\alpha } \) was determined at a temperature where \( \Delta G_{\text{Chem}}^{\gamma \to \alpha } + \Delta G_{\text{str}}^{\gamma \to \alpha } = 0 \). The proposed \( M_{\text{S}}^{\alpha } \) model shows an extended temperature range of prediction from 170 K to 820 K (?103 °C to 547 °C). The model is then shown to corroborate alloy chemistries that exhibit two-stage athermal martensitic transformations and two-stage TRIP behavior in three previously reported medium manganese steels. In addition, the model can be used to predict the retained γ-austenite in twelve alloys, containing ε-martensite, using the difference between the calculated \( M_{\text{S}}^{\varepsilon } \) and \( M_{\text{S}}^{\alpha } \).     

Effect of Tungsten on Primary Creep Deformation and Minimum Creep Rate of Reduced Activation Ferritic-Martensitic Steel

Effect of tungsten on transient creep deformation and minimum creep rate of reduced activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steel has been assessed. Tungsten content in the 9Cr-RAFM steel has been varied between 1 and 2 wt pct, and creep tests were carried out over the stress range of 180 and 260 MPa at 823 K (550 °C). The tempered martensitic steel exhibited primary creep followed by tertiary stage of creep deformation with a minimum in creep deformation rate. The primary creep behavior has been assessed based on the Garofalo relationship, \( \varepsilon = \varepsilon_{\text{o}} + \varepsilon_{\text{T}} [1-\exp (-r^{\prime} \cdot t)] + \dot{\varepsilon }_{\text{m}} \cdot t \) , considering minimum creep rate \( \dot{\varepsilon }_{\text{m}} \) instead of steady-state creep rate \( \dot{\varepsilon }_{\text{s}} \) . The relationships between (i) rate of exhaustion of transient creep r′ with minimum creep rate, (ii) rate of exhaustion of transient creep r′ with time to reach minimum creep rate, and (iii) initial creep rate \( \dot{\varepsilon }_{\text{i}} \) with minimum creep rate revealed that the first-order reaction-rate theory has prevailed throughout the transient region of the RAFM steel having different tungsten contents. The rate of exhaustion of transient creep r′ and minimum creep rate \( \dot{\varepsilon }_{\text{m}} \) decreased, whereas the transient strain ? _T increased with increase in tungsten content. A master transient creep curve of the steels has been developed considering the variation of \( \frac{{\left( {\varepsilon - \varepsilon_{\text{o}} } \right)}}{{\varepsilon_{\text{T}} }} \) with \( \frac{{\dot{\varepsilon }_{\text{m}} \cdot t}}{{\varepsilon_{\text{T}} }} \) . The effect of tungsten on the variation of minimum creep rate with applied stress has been rationalized by invoking the back-stress concept.     

Iron redox equilibria in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 and MgO-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 slags

Measurements have been made of the ratio of ferric to ferrous iron in CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ and MgO-CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ slags at oxygen activities ranging from equilibrium with pCO₂/pCO≈0.01 to as high as air at temperatures of 1573 to 1773 K. At 1773 K, values are given by $\begin{gathered} \log {\text{ }}\left( {\frac{{Fe^{3 + } }}{{Fe^{2 + } }}} \right) = 0.3( \pm {\text{ }}0.02){\text{ }}Y + {\text{ }}0.45( \pm {\text{ }}0.01){\text{ }}\log \hfill \\ \left( {\frac{{pCO_2 }}{{pCO}}} \right) - 1.24( \pm {\text{ }}0.01) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $ where Y=(CaO+MgO)/SiO₂, for melts with the molar ratio of CaO/SiO₂=0.45 to 1.52, 10 to 15 mol pct Al₂O₃, up to 12 mol pct MgO (at CaO/SiO₂≈1.5), and with 3 to 10 wt pct total Fe. Available evidence suggests that, to a good approximation, these redox equilibria are independent of temperature when expressed with respect to pCO₂/pCO, probably from about 1573 to 1873 K. Limited studies have also been carried out on melts containing about 40 mol pct Al₂O₃, up to 12 mol pct MgO (at CaO/SiO₂≈1.5), and 3.6 to 4.7 wt pct Fe. These show a strongly nonideal behavior for the iron redox equilibrium, with $\frac{{Fe^{3 + } }}{{Fe^{2 + } }} \propto \left( {\frac{{pCO_2 }}{{pCO}}} \right)^{0.37} $ The nonideal behavior and the effects of basicity and Al₂O₃ concentration on the redox equilibria are discussed in terms of the charge balance model of alumino-silicates and the published structural information from Mössbauer and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy of quenched melts.     

Distribution Ratios of Phosphorus Between CaO-FeO-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>O/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Slags and Carbon-Saturated Iron

In order to effectively enhance the efficiency of dephosphorization, the distribution ratios of phosphorus between CaO-FeO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃/Na₂O/TiO₂ slags and carbon-saturated iron (\( L_{\text{P}}^{\text{Fe-C}} \)) were examined through laboratory experiments in this study, along with the effects of different influencing factors such as the temperature and concentrations of the various slag components. Thermodynamic simulations showed that, with the addition of Na₂O and Al₂O₃, the liquid areas of the CaO-FeO-SiO₂ slag are enlarged significantly, with Al₂O₃ and Na₂O acting as fluxes when added to the slag in the appropriate concentrations. The experimental data suggested that \( L_{\text{P}}^{\text{Fe-C}} \) increases with an increase in the binary basicity of the slag, with the basicity having a greater effect than the temperature and FeO content; \( L_{\text{P}}^{\text{Fe-C}} \) increases with an increase in the Na₂O content and decrease in the Al₂O₃ content. In contrast to the case for the dephosphorization of molten steel, for the hot-metal dephosphorization process investigated in this study, the FeO content of the slag had a smaller effect on \( L_{\text{P}}^{\text{Fe-C}} \) than did the other factors such as the temperature and slag basicity. Based on the experimental data, by using regression analysis, \( \log L_{\text{P}}^{\text{Fe-C}} \) could be expressed as a function of the temperature and the slag component concentrations as follows:

$$ \begin{aligned} \log L_{\text{P}}^{\text{Fe-C}} & = 0.059({\text{pct}}\;{\text{CaO}}) + 1.583\log ({\text{TFe}}) - 0.052\left( {{\text{pct}}\;{\text{SiO}}_{2} } \right) - 0.014\left( {{\text{pct}}\;{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} } \right) \\ \, & \quad + 0.142\left( {{\text{pct}}\;{\text{Na}}_{2} {\text{O}}} \right) - 0.003\left( {{\text{pct}}\;{\text{TiO}}_{2} } \right) + 0.049\left( {{\text{pct}}\;{\text{P}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{5} } \right) + \frac{13{,}527}{T} - 9.87. \\ \end{aligned} $$

     

Kinetics of the Oxidation of Bismuthinite in Oxygen�CNitrogen Atmospheres

Bismuth is present in copper concentrates mainly as the mineral bismuthinite (Bi₂S₃). In some cases of smelting of concentrates, a substantial amount of bismuth can lead to contaminated copper cathodes. Thus, understanding the behavior of Bi₂S₃ at high temperatures is crucial to assessing the potential of bismuth removal in the pyrometallurgical process. Therefore, the oxidation of bismuthinite in mixtures of oxygen?Cnitrogen atmospheres was investigated using a thermogravimetric analysis technique. The results indicate that the oxidation process occurs through the following consecutive reactions: $$ \begin{gathered} {\text{First stage: }}{\text{Bi}}_{ 2} {\text{S}}_{ 3} \left( {\text{s,l}} \right) + 3{\text{O}}_{2} \left( {\text{g}} \right) = 2{\text{Bi}}\left( {\text{l}} \right) + 3{\text{SO}}_{ 2} \left( {\text{g}} \right) \hfill \\ {\text{Second stage: }}2{\text{Bi}}\left( {\text{l}} \right) + 3/2{\text{O}}_{2} \left( {\text{g}} \right) = {\text{Bi}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} \left( {\text{s,l}} \right) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The kinetics of the oxidation of bismuthinite (first stage) was studied, and the model ln(1 ?C X) = ?Ck_app t describes the kinetics of this reaction well. The bismuthinite oxidation dependence on oxygen partial pressure was of 0.9 order, and the intrinsic kinetic constants were obtained in the temperature range of 873 K to 1273 K (600 °C to 1000 °C), which were used to determine the activation energy of 91 kJ/mol. The results indicate that the oxidation of bismuthinite is a process controlled by chemical reactions. From this study, it can be concluded that the removal of bismuth from the Bi₂S₃-containing concentrates through a mechanism involving gaseous bismuth compounds is not feasible during an oxidizing roasting and/or smelting of concentrates containing Bi₂S₃.     

Correlation Between Viscosity and Electrical Conductivity of Aluminosilicate Melts

The linear relations between logarithm of viscosity and logarithm of electrical conductivity deduced in our previous paper for MO-SiO₂ (M = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) and M₂O-SiO₂ (Li, Na, K) melts are extended in this study. It is found that the linear law for MO-SiO₂ system is also followed for the melts of FeO-SiO₂ and MnO-SiO₂ (when electronic conduct can be neglected relative to ionic conduct). The relation between viscosity and electrical conductivity is mainly dependent on the valences of cations of basic oxides. For the $ \sum {{\text{M}}_{x} {\text{O-SiO}}_{2} } $ melt containing several basic oxides, there are two situations: In the case where all cations are divalent (or univalent), the relation is the same as that of MO-SiO₂ melt (or M₂O-SiO₂ melt); in the case of existing both divalent and univalent cations, the coefficients for the linear relation can be calculated based on the coefficients of MO-SiO₂ and M₂O-SiO₂ melts, with the weight factors from the renormalized mole fractions of $ \sum {\text{MO}} $ and $ \sum {{\text{M}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}} $ . It is also found that Al₂O₃ has little effect on the relation, and the law for $ \sum {{\text{M}}_{\text{x}} {\text{O-SiO}}_{ 2} } $ melt can be approximately applied to $ \sum {{\text{M}}_{\text{x}} {\text{O-Al}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}_{ 3} {\text{-SiO}}_{ 2} } $ melt.     

The Equilibrium Between Titanium Ions and Titanium Metal in NaCl-KCl Equimolar Molten Salt

The equilibrium between metallic titanium and titanium ions, 3Ti²⁺ ? 2Ti³⁺ + Ti, in NaCl-KCl equimolar molten salt was reevaluated. At a fixed temperature and an initial concentration of titanium chloride, the equilibrium was achieved by adding an excess amount of sponge titanium in assistant with bubbling of argon into the molten salt. The significance of this work is that the accurate concentrations of titanium ions have been obtained based on a reliable approach for taking samples. Furthermore, the equilibrium constant   $ {\text{K}}_{\text{C}} = (x_{{{\text{Ti}}^{{ 3 { + }}} }}^{\text{eql}} )^{3} /(x_{{{\text{Ti}}^{{ 2 { + }}} }}^{\text{eql}} )^{2} $ K C = ( x Ti 3 + eql ) 3 / ( x Ti 2 + eql ) 2 was calculated through the best-fitting method under the consideration of the TiOCl dissolution. Indeed, the final results have disclosed that the stable value of K_C could be achieved based on all modifications.     

The Solubility and Diffusivity of Fluorine in Solid Copper from Electrochemical Measurements

The solubility and diffusivity of fluorine in solid copper were determined electrochemically using the double solid-state cell $$Ni + NiF_2 \left| {CaF_2 } \right|Cu\left| {CaF_2 } \right|Ni + NiF_2 .$$ In the temperature range 757 to 920°C, the diffusivity of fluorine in solid copper was found to be $$D_F \left( {{{cm^2 } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{cm^2 } s}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} s}} \right) = 9.32 \times 10^{ - 2} \exp \left( {\frac{{ - 98,910 {J \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {J {mole}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {mole}}}} {{RT}}} \right).$$ . The results obtained for the dissolution of fluorine as atoms in solid copper showed large scatter. However, the equilibrium dissolution of fluorine follows Sieverts’ law. Above the melting point (770°C) of CuF₂, the mean solubility of fluorine in solid copper, for the equilibrium Cu(s)+ CuF ₂(l), follows the relationship $$N_F^s (atom fraction) = 0.98 \exp \left( {\frac{{ - 79,500 {J \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {J {mole}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {mole}}}} {{RT}}} \right).$$      

Interdiffusivities matrix of CaO-AI2O3-SiO2 melt at 1723 k to 1823 k

Ternary oxide mixtures of lime, alumina, and silica were premelted and quenched to produce glassy cylinders. A diffusion couple was selected from the mixtures of six different compositions in such a way that the average composition could be 40 wt pct CaO-20 wt pct AI₂O₃ = 40 wt pct SiO₂. Penetration curves of the components were measured with a X-ray microprobe analyzer. The interdiffusivities matrix defined with the Matano interface has been obtained from 52 successful diffusion runs at 1723 K to 1823 K as follows; $$ \begin{gathered} \tilde D_{10 - 10}^{30} = 8.9 \times 10^{ - 11} \exp \left( { - \frac{{253,700}} {{RT}}} \right)\left( {m^2 /s} \right) \hfill \\ \tilde D_{10 - 20}^{30} = - 2.5 \times 10^{ - 11} \exp \left( { - \frac{{194,300}} {{RT}}} \right)\left( {m^2 /s} \right) \hfill \\ \tilde D_{20 - 10}^{30} = - 4.0 \times 10^{ - 11} \exp \left( { - \frac{{177,600}} {{RT}}} \right)\left( {m^2 /s} \right) \hfill \\ \tilde D_{20 - 20}^{30} = 6.12 \times 10^{ - 11} \exp \left( { - \frac{{318,400}} {{RT}}} \right)\left( {m^2 /s} \right) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where symbols, 10, 20, and 30 mean CaO, A1₂O₃, and SiO₂, respectively, and the activation energies are in Joules per mole. The diffusion composition paths obtained are discussed in relation to Cooper’s parallelogram. The composition dependency of the above interdiffusivities is estimated from the quasibinary interdiffusivities in all composition ranges of the present oxide system in liquid state.     

Isothermal Reaction of NiO Powder with Undiluted CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> at 1000 K to 1300 K (727 °C to 1027 °C)

In this study, isothermal reaction behavior of loose NiO powder in a flowing undiluted CH₄ atmosphere at the temperature range 1000 K to 1300 K (727 °C to 1027 °C) is investigated. Thermodynamic analyses at this temperature range revealed that single phase Ni forms at the input \( {{n_{{{\text{CH}}_{ 4} }}^{\text{o}} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{n_{{{\text{CH}}_{ 4} }}^{\text{o}} } {\left( {n_{{{\text{CH}}_{ 4} }}^{\text{o}} + n_{\text{NiO}}^{\text{o}} } \right)}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left( {n_{{{\text{CH}}_{ 4} }}^{\text{o}} + n_{\text{NiO}}^{\text{o}} } \right)}} \) mole fractions (\( X_{{{\text{CH}}_{ 4} }} \)) between ~0.2 and 0.5. It was also predicted that free C co-exists with Ni at \( X_{{{\text{CH}}_{ 4} }} \) values higher than ~0.5. The experiments were carried out as a function of temperature, time, and CH₄ flow rate. Mass measurement, XRD and SEM-EDX were used to characterize the products at various stages of the reaction. At 1200 K and 1300 K (927 °C and 1027 °C), the reaction of NiO with undiluted CH₄ essentially consisted of two successive distinct stages: NiO reduction and pyrolytic C deposition on pre-reduced Ni particles. At 1200 K (927 °C), 1100 K (827 °C), and 1000 K (727 °C), complete oxide reduction was observed within ~7.5, ~17.5, and ~45 minutes, respectively. It was suggested that NiO was essentially reduced to Ni by a CH₄ decomposition product, H₂. Possible reactions leading to NiO reduction were suggested. An attempt was made to describe the NiO reduction kinetics using nucleation-growth and geometrical contraction models. It was observed that the extent of NiO reduction and free C deposition increased with the square root of CH₄ flow rate as predicted by a mass transport theory. A mixed controlling mechanism, partly chemical kinetics and partly external gaseous mass transfer, was responsible for the overall reaction rate. The present study demonstrated that the extent of the reduction can be determined quantitatively using the XRD patterns and also using a formula theoretically derived from the basic XRD data.