Dissolution of sulfur in industrial slags, even at such a low level as
1 mass% S or so, increases the solubility of certain valuable metals
by an order of magnitude, The phenomenon is accounted for in terms of
Flood-Forland-Grjotheim's model for dianionic salt solutions, whereas
its rigorous analysis requires the digaseous Gibbs-Duhem integration.
In the research described here, the distribution of sulfur among gas,
slag, and metallic iron phases in the bath smelting of iron ore was co
mputer-simulated based on a two-sites model coupled with sulfide capac
ity data. The solubilities of Ag, Cu, Co, and Ni in industrial slags a
re reviewed by applying the sulfidic-oxidic dissolution model to coppe
r-matte smelting, nickel-slag cleaning (Falconbridge, Canada), and the
imperial smelting process for zinc and lead (Hachinohe, Japan).