Abstract

An experimental study to investigate the relation between the emission spectra and composition of copper mattes at high temperatures, was conducted. The experiments were performed in an electric furnace at laboratory level. Five copper materials of different composition (55-75w-% Cu) were tested and melted at four different temperatures in the range of 1483-1543 K under N2 atmosphere. The emission spectra were obtained through a VIS-NIR optical fiber and registered by an USB4000-OceanOptics spectrophotometer. Overall, the emission spectra obtained under the different experimental conditions showed the existence of an inverse relation between the Cu-content and the intensity of the radiation emitted from the molten surface. In the range of 600-1000 nm of wavelengths, the molten mattes behaved as a gray body and the emissivity value of the material was dependent on the Cu-content. The results are framed as a new technique for non-invasive and online matte composition measurements in the pyrometallurgical production of copper.