Transfer of a pollutant through an interface between electromagnetically stirred mercury and electrolyte sublayer

B. Cariteau - Y. Fautrelle - J. Etay

EPM-MADYLAM- Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ENSHMG BP 95 - 38402 St Martin d'Heres Cedex - France

Abstract
The control of mass transfer between slag and liquid metal is one of the key problems in pyrometallurgy. Contactless, the electromagnetic stirring is an elegant solution to this problem. In the present paper, a physical model working with mercury is used to measure the mass transfer of initially diluted indium. This transfer is controlled by the electromagnetic stirring of mercury for various magnetic field intensities and frequencies. As expected, it is found that the mass transfer increases with the magnetic field intensity. Moreover, the interfacial tension appears a have a key role in the way this transfer takes place. Figs 5, Refs 6.