A quantitative method for silica flux evaluation

In the smelting of copper and copper/nickel concentrates, the role of silica flux is to aid in the removal of iron by forming a slag phase. Alternatively, the role of flux may be regarded as a means of controlling the formation of magnetite, which can severely hinder the operation of a furnace. To adequately control the magnetite level, the flux must react rapidly with all of the FeO within the bath. In the present study, a rapid method for silica flux evaluation that can be used directly in the smelter has been developed. Samples of flux are mixed with iron sulfide and magnetite and then smelted at a temperature of 1250 °C. Argon was swept over the reaction mixture and analyzed continuously for sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide concentration with time was found to contain two peaks, the first one being independent of the flux content of the sample. A flux quality parameter has been defined as the height-to-time ratio of the second peak. The value of this parameter for pure silica is 5100 ppm/min. The effects of silica content, silica particle size, and silicate mineralogy were investigated. It was found that a limiting flux quality is achieved for particle sizes less than 0.1 mm in diameter and that fluxes containing feldspar are generally of a poorer quality. The relative importance of free silica and melting point was also studied using synthetic flux mixtures, with free silica displaying the strongest effect.