In the smelting and converting operation for the processing of copper/nickel matte, matte droplets are generated in the slag phase either by the melting of the concentrate on top of the slag or by turbulence generated throgh gas injection into the matte. The size and compsoition of the matte droplets varies. If the sizes of the droplets are too small, they will not have sufficient time to settle and become trapped in the slag phase. The entrained matte can represent a noticeable loss of pay metal. To have a better understanding of the entrainment problem, a study was carried out to determine the size distribution of the droplets entrained in the slag phase. Commercial slag samples were obtained and sectioned for microscopic analysis. The results indicated that even the very fine droplets can contribute significantly to metal loss. Using these data, a simple setting model was developed to study the effect of various physical properties of the slag on the entrainment behavior.
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