A Study of Basic Brick from Copper Anode Furnaces

Abstract

Samples of basic and alumina brick were examined after service in copper anode furnaces. Copper oxides penetrating the brick had reacted with the chrome grains, with the periclase, and with the alumina. These reactions were studied by examining the stability of the compounds formed when copper oxides were heated with various spinels and oxides. In general, spinels of the series CuO R 2 O 3 decomposed to the compound CU 2 O R 2 O 3 with the liberation of R 2 O 3 , when R was Al 3+ , Cr 3+ , or Fe 3+ . With magnesia, cupric oxide formed the mineral güggenit, CuO–MgO, which during heating decomposed with the evolution of oxygen to MgO and Cu 2 O.