Matte-refractory Interaction; a Review
2019
In the Platinum Group Metal (PGMs) industries, there are furnaces breakouts due to high operating temperatures.This is mainly due to smelting UG2 concentrates that have high chromite content.Thermodynamically, when the matte temperature is greater than 1500 °C, the probability of matte sulphidising with refractory is very high.Magnesia-chrome brick and alumina-chrome brick are typical in PGM-smelter refractory lining; matte can penetrate and interact with these refractories at operating temperatures.The data published on matte-refractory interaction in PGM smelters is reviewed in this paper.Matte penetration through refractory, refractory dissolution in matte and the composition of the residual matte is discussed.