Oxygen And Sulphur In The Melting Of Copper Cathodes-The Relation Of Sulphur To The Overpoling Of Copper -Discussion

GWILLIAM H. CLAMER* (Philadelphia, Pa.).-Sulphur is not so detrimental in its effect if oxygen is also present, so that in sulphur-carrying bronzes and brasses, it is advantageous to maintain a certain percentage of oxygen. As a matter of fact, it would be possible sometimes to correct difficulties by actually adding oxygen. If the cathodes were charged directly into an electric furnace in a neutral or reducing atmosphere, a very high grade of copper would result by a simple melting operation. This would very largely eliminate the loss occasioned by melting in a reverberatory furnace. In such a furnace a large amount of slag is produced during the oxidizing stage of refining. Notwithstanding the fact that melting in an electric furnace might be somewhat more expensive than melting in a fuel furnace, the ultimate result would be a saving and the production of a very high grade of copper.