Effect of copper additions on the reducibility of tricalcium phosphate by carbon

Abstract The effect of copper additions on the reducibility of tricalcium phosphate by carbon was studied. Optimum conditions with the recovery of about 100% of their phosphorus content were achieved at temperatures ⩾ 1200°C. The mechanism of reduction was presented under the fore-mentioned conditions. Activation energies of these reactions were calculated on the basis of Sharp 's equations. The phases formed during reduction were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis.