• Smalcerz, Albert

Abstract

<jats:p>Using a reduced pressure during the smelting and refining of alloys removesdissolved gasses, as well as impurities with a high vapor pressure. Whensmelting is carried out in vacuum induction furnaces, the intensification ofthe discussed processes is achieved by intensive mixing of the bath, as wellas an enhanced mass exchange surface (liquid metal surface) due to theformation of a meniscus. This is due to the electromagnetic field applied tothe liquid metal. This study reports the removal of arsenic from blistercopper via refining in an induction vacuum furnace in the temperature rangeof 1423-1523 K, at operating pressures from 8 to 1333 Pa. The overall masstransfer coefficient kAs determined from the experimental data ranged from9.99?10-7 to 1.65?10-5 ms-1. Arsenic elimination was largely controlled bymass transfer in the gas phase. The kinetic analysis indicated that thearsenic evaporation rate was controlled by the combination of both liquidand gas-phase mass transfer only at a pressure of 8 Pa.</jats:p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• surface
• mass spectrometry
• copper
• gas phase
• evaporation
• Arsenic