Dispersed matte droplets in industrial slag melts from flash smelting furnace

Investigations were carried out on slag melts during flash smelting furnace operations producing matte containing 60 to 63% Cu (Mode A) and 72 to 75% Cu (Mode 13). Copper losses were determined by using electron probe microanalysis of nitrogen and air quenched samples as well as material balance calculations of the process of crystallization of the slag melts. This work identified distinctive features of the matte droplets dispersed in slag melts and the portion of copper loss. A hypothesis was proposed regarding the nature and behaviour of these droplets at the time they were in the flash smelting furnace settler.