Effect of CaO Addition on Iron Recovery from Copper Smelting Slags by Solid Carbon

We investigated the effect of flux (lime) addition on the reduction behavior of iron oxide in copper slag by solid carbon at 1773 K (1500 °C). In particular, we quantified the recovery of iron by performing typical kinetic analysis and considering slag foaming, which is strongly affected by the thermophysical properties of slags. The iron oxide in the copper slag was consistently reduced by solid carbon over time. In the kinetic analysis, we determined mass transfer coefficients with and without considering slag foaming using a gas holdup factor. The mass transfer of FeO was not significantly changed by CaO addition when slag foaming was ignored, whereas the mass transfer of FeO when slag foaming was considered was at a minimum in the 20 mass pct CaO system. Iron recovery, defined as the ratio of the amount of iron clearly transferred to the base metal ingot to the initial amount of iron in the slag phase before reduction, was maximal (about 90 pct) in the 20 mass pct CaO system. Various types of solid compounds, including Mg₂SiO₄ and Ca₂SiO₄, were precipitated in slags during the FeO reduction process, and these compounds strongly affected the reduction kinetics of FeO as well as iron recovery. Iron recovery was the greatest in the 20 mass pct CaO system because no solid compounds formed in this system, resulting in a highly fluid slag. This fluid slag allowed iron droplets to fall rapidly with high terminal velocity to the bottom of the crucible. A linear relationship between the mass transfer coefficient of FeO considering slag foaming and foam stability was obtained, from which we concluded that the mass transfer of FeO in slag was effectively promoted not only by gas evolution due to reduction reactions but also by foamy slag containing solid compounds. However, the reduced iron droplets were finely dispersed in foamy and viscous slags, making actual iron recovery a challenge.