Oxygen activities in an industrial copper flash smelting furnace were measured by disposable oxygen probes to which a sampling device was attached. The chemical composition of the phase in the vicinity of the oxygen probe was determined with the aim of obtaining a detailed analysis of the mechanisms of slag and matte formation in suspension smelting. The results show clearly that no significant oxygen-activity gradients exist in the settler products as a function of either the area or the depth of the settler. The observations indicate that the majority of the slag and matte formation processes are completed just below the reaction shaft area. Data on the distribution of minority elements were also derived.
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