Phase Equilibria Studies of the Cu-Fe-O-Si System in Equilibrium with Air and with Metallic Copper

Phase equilibria of the Cu-Fe-O-Si system have been investigated in equilibrium: (1) with air atmosphere at temperatures between 1373 K and 1673 K (1100 A degrees C and 1400 A degrees C) and (2) with metallic copper at temperatures between 1373 K and 1573 K (1100 A degrees C and 1300 A degrees C). High-temperature equilibration/quenching/electron-probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) techniques have been used to accurately determine the compositions of the phases in equilibrium in the system. The new experimental results are presented in the form of Cu2O-Fe2O3-SiO2 ternary sections. The relationships between the activity of CuO0.5(l) and the composition of slag in equilibrium with metallic copper are discussed. The phase equilibria information of the Cu-Fe-O-Si system is of practical importance for industrial copper production processes and for the improvement of the existing thermodynamic database of copper-containing slag systems.