Investigation of freeze-linings in copper-containing slag systems: Part I. Preliminary experiments

Slag freeze-linings are increasingly used in industrial pyrometallurgical processes to insure that furnace integrity is maintained in aggressive high-temperature environments. Most previous studies of freeze-linings have analyzed the formation of slag deposits based solely on heat-transfer models. The focus of the present research is to determine the impact of slag chemistry and local process conditions on the microstructures, thickness, stability, and heat-transfer characteristics of the frozen deposit at steady-state conditions. The formation of the freeze-linings is studied under controlled laboratory conditions using an air-cooled "cold-finger" technique for Cu-Fe-Si-Al-O slag at equilibrium with metallic copper relevant to the industrial copper smelting processes. The phase assemblages and microstructures of the deposits formed in the cold-finger experiments differ significantly from those expected from phase equilibrium considerations. The freeze-lining deposits have been found, in general, to consist of several layers. Starting from the cold finger, these layers consist of glass; glass with microcrystalline precipitates; closed crystalline layer; and open crystalline layer. Even at steady-state conditions, there was no primary phase sealing layer of delafossite [CuO · (Al, Fe)O] present at the deposit/liquid interface - these observations differ markedly from those expected from phase equilibrium considerations. The findings have significant practical implications, and potential for the improved design and operation of industrial metallurgical furnaces