Removal of Lead From Blister Copper by Melting in the Induction Vacuum Furnace

Abstract

The usage of the reduced pressure in the processes of smelting and refining of metal alloys allow to remove not only the gases dissolved in the metal bath, but also the impurities having a higher vapour pressure than the matrix metal. Blister copper produced in flash furnace contains many impurities such as lead, bismuth and arsenic. Some of them must be removed from molten metals, because of their deleterious effects on copper electrical properties. When the smelting process is carried out in the induction vacuum furnaces, the above-mentioned phenomenon is being intensified, one or another mixing of bath and increase in the surface area of mass exchange (liquid metal surface). The latter results from the formation of a meniscus being an effect of the electromagnetic field influence on the liquid metal. In the work, the results of refining blister copper in terms of removing lead from it, are presented. The experiments were carried out in the induction crucible vacuum furnace at temperatures of 1473 and 1523 K, and operating pressures in a range of 8 - 533 Pa.