Size of metal drops formed on a bubble of reducing gas at oxide melt barbotage

To estimate the size of the drops formed on individual bubbles of the reducing gas during the oxide melt barbotage, a metal phase formation model was used. This model includes the following stages: formation of bubbles upon injection of gas into the melt; metal recovery on the bubbles surface and its concentration in the form of drops in stern. Equations are presented that make it possible to estimate the limiting sizes of a gas bubble (R^кр_п) and drops (r^кр_к) moving in oxide melt without crushing. Using the densities (p, kg/m³) and surface tension (σ, mJ/m²) of B₂O₃ - CaO (1) and B₂O₃ - CaO - CuO (2) melts in the temperature range of 1373 - 1673 K, described by the equations σ₁= 87,0 + 0,242T, p₁ = 3,2610-3 - 0,91T, σ₂= 10,8 + 0,178T, p₂ = 3,1910-3 - 0, 70T, respectively , the critical dimensions of a gas bubble (R^кр_п)moving in an oxide melt without crushing were calculated. In B₂O₃ - CaO - CuO melt, critical radius of the bubble varies from 0.047 to 0.053 m depending on temperature, and for the B₂O₃ - CaO system these values are 0.06 - 0.081 m. Using a technique with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations that allows to describe the features of oxide melt barbotage by various reducing gases, we determined the change of the copper oxides content in B₂O₃ - CaO - CuO melt depending on the amount of CO introduced at different temperatures. Based on the obtained data, the amount of copper formed during the interaction of Cu₂O in the melt with a single CO bubble wascalculated depending on the content of copper oxide and the amount of CO in the bubble. The correlation dependences of the drop size on the content of Cu₂O in the melt (C_{Cu O}, %), temperature (T, K) and the amount of CO in the bubble (n_CO , mol) were obtained by statistical data processing methods.

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