Wettability of graphite by synthetic and industrial PGM-furnace matte

Abstract

Wettability of SGL's RN-graphite by synthetic and industrial PGM (Platinum Group Metal)-furnace matte (CuFeNiS) was investigated using a sessile drop configuration. This work was done to determine the compatibility of a graphite refractory with liquid PGM-furnace matte. Direct measurements of interfacial contact angles were used to determine wettability. In inert conditions, graphite was poorly wetted by synthetic and industrial PGMfurnace matte (CuFeNiS), the contact angles were > 90° for all tested matte types. No correlation was observed between the sulphur content of the matte and its wetting behaviour. The granulated matte expanded by up to 25 volume % during melting.