Abstract：As copper matte has a high content of sulfur, which is difficult to be completely oxidized, a method was established to determine total sulfur in copper matte by gravimetry with zinc oxide-sodium carbonate-potassium permanganate as flux. The optimum mass ratio of the mixed flux was 10∶10∶1 for sodium carbonate, zinc oxide and potassium permanganate. The optimum melting temperature was 750-800 ℃. Experiments showed that, after molten leaching, the interfering ion of Pb2+, Si and manganese with high valencewere separated by precipitation and filtration. Under the slightly acidic condition, when sulfate ions in the solution was precipitated with barium chloride as precipitate, F-, Bi3+, Sb3+ and Fe3+ could be masked with the addition of citric acid and aluminum chloride solution. After the precipitate was filtered, burned to weigh the content of barium sulfate, the content of total sulfur in copper matte was calculated. The method was applied to the determination of total sulfur in copper matte samples, and the results were consistent with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The relative standard deviations (RSD, n=7) were in the range of 0.3 %-0.5 % and the recoveries were in the range of 98%-103%.
