Partition Equilibria of Lead and Antimony between Liquid Copper and MgO Saturated Cu₂O-SiO₂, Cu₂O-CaO and Cu₂O-CaO-SiO₂ Systems

Abstract

The partition ratios of Pb and Sb between liquid copper and MgO saturated Cu₂O-SiO₂, Cu₂O-CaO and Cu₂O-CaO-SiO₂ systems were measured from 1523 to 1673 K.
For Cu₂O-SiO₂-MgO_satd. system at 1573 K, the effect of SiO₂ content on partition ratios of Pb and Sb was small and their partition ratios were lower than 20. For Cu₂O-CaO-MgO_satd. system, the partition ratio of Pb was not affected by the CaO concentration, while the partition ratio of Sb and the activity coefficient of SbO_1.5 were dependent on the CaO concentration. When CaO concentration increased, the partition ratio of Sb increased and the activity coefficient of SbO_1.5 decreased.
For Cu₂O-CaO-SiO₂-MgO_satd. system, two liquid phases, which one was calcium silicate rich phase and another was Cu₂O rich phase, were observed at 1573 K. The partition ratios of Pb and Sb between calcium silicate phase and liquid copper were dependent on the ratio of (mass%CaO)/(mass%SiO₂). When the ratio (mass%CaO)/(mass%SiO₂) increased, the partition ratio of Pb decreased and that of Sb increased.