The Viscous and Conductivity Behavior of Melts Containing Iron Oxide in the FeOt-SiO2-CaO-Cu2O System for Copper Smelting Slags

The control of the slag properties has become very essential in improving (1) the separation between the slag and the matte and (2) the operation of electric smelting furnaces in the copper pyrometallurgical process. The viscosities and electrical conductivities of FeO_t-SiO₂-CaO-Cu₂O copper smelting slags were measured using the rotational spindle method and the standard direct-current (DC) four-probe method, respectively, in this article. The influences of the common constituents of CaO, Fe₃O₄, Cu₂O in the basic slag system of FeO-SiO₂ on the viscosity and conductivity have been investigated. The results showed that the effects of these three compositions on viscosity and conductivity were much more complicated due to the transition of the basic slag compositions. The apparent activity energy of viscosity and the relationship between viscosity and electrical conductivity are also mentioned in the study.