Granulometric Characteristics Study for the Particles of the Cu2-xS - Fex+1S System

Abstract

The electrolysis of granular matte is a new alternative method for processing sulphide copper materials with the production of cathode copper and the conversion of sulfur to the elemental state. For the first time were established the regularities for the Cu2-xS – Fex+1S granules distribution by the size classes of obtained granulations for the Cu - Fe - S melt at temperatures of 1200, 1250, 1300 and 1350 °C. The maximum amount of Cu2-xS – Fex+1S material of size class 5.0 + 2.5, -2.5 + 1.6 and-1.6 + 1.0 mm, which corresponds to the conditions of following electrochemical processing and estimated as 72.5%, was obtained by granulation of the melt at 1200 °C. The granulometric characteristics of Cu2-xS – Fex+1S granules were estimated. With an increase in the overheating temperature of the Cu - Fe - S melt, granules with a large value of the average diameter were obtained, also the root-mean-square deviation of the particle size from the average value increases and the degree of polydispersity of the granules decreases. The duration of cooling for Cu2-xS – Fex+1S granules from the melt temperatures at 1200, 1250, 1300 and 1350 °C was calculated. In the entire considered temperature range, the particle cooling time is much longer than the spheroidization time, which contributes to the formation of spherical particles.