About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Fundamentals of Sustainable Metallurgy and Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Hydrogen as a Reductant for Sustainable Copper Refining: A Kinetic Comparison with Methane Deoxidation |
| Author(s) |
Alberto Rivera-Romero, Raquel Sánchez, Carola Celada-Casero |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Alberto Rivera-Romero |
| Abstract Scope |
Deoxidation is a critical stage of copper refining, traditionally performed using hydrocarbons like methane. Decarbonizing metal production motivates a shift toward hydrogen, yet the deoxidation kinetics by hydrogen injection remain poorly understood. We present the first direct experimental comparison of molten blister copper deoxidation by bubbling H2 and CH4 at 1150-1250 °C, described by a single two-film, mixed-control model. Hydrogen reacts directly with dissolved oxygen, whereas methane first partially decomposes into C and H2, the actual deoxidizing species. The model reproduces both experiments and naturally predicts the gas-to-liquid rate-controlling transition at ~0.63 wt% O. For H2, the apparent activation energy is low and essentially temperature-independent within the studied range. For methane, decomposition is rate-limiting (particularly below 1200 °C), giving an apparent activation energy of ~291 kJ/mol and low reductant utilization (9–25%, rising with temperature). The results explain hydrogen's faster kinetics and provide a predictive framework for greener copper refining. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Sustainability, Pyrometallurgy, Copper / Nickel / Cobalt |