CHROMIUM DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN LIQUID SLAG AND MATTE PHASES

The distribution of chromium between liquid silicate slags and copper-iron-nickel matte phases encountered in electric smelting of PGM containing South African sulphide concentrates were experimentally studied under controlled partial pressures of oxygen and sulphur. The reported experiments were conducted under silica saturation through the use of silica crucibles. Seven representative slag compositions were equilibrated with a typical sulphur deficient matte containing 18% Ni, 11% Cu, 42% Fe and 29% S. The slag constituents varied in the following ranges: SiO2: 42-58%, Al2O3: 3.5-9.0%, Fe2O3: 13-21%, MgO: 15.6-25%, CaO: 2-15%, Cr2O3: 0.2-3.5%. The slag and matte samples were synthetically prepared from pure components. The chromium content of the two phases was analysed chemically. According to the present available results of this ongoing research it was found that the partition of chromium to the matte phase decreased with an increase in the partial pressures of both oxygen and sulphur where the value of the distribution coefficient of chromium between the matte and the slag phase varied from as low as 0.07 to as high as 5.5.