Affiliate of the RSE NC CPMRM RK “VNIItsvetmet”, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan:

V. A. Shumskiy, Deputy Director for Scientific Work, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: vs2009@inbox.ru

Despite lead hydrometallurgy has been developing rapidly over the recent years, the major part of lead in the world is still being produced using various lead smelting technologies. Meanwhile, the conventional lead smelting process combining both oxidizing roasting of lead charge and reduction shaft smelting, has become inappropriate in terms of modern nature protection requirements, therefore ecologically friendly direct lead smelting processes have gradually been expelling it. In terms of the technical arrangement, all these processes can be divided into two main types, bath smelting and flash smelting namely. The 1^st objective of the paper is making an analysis of the correlations between technical arrangement and technological capabilities of direct lead smelting processes with the natural patterns of lead and lead compounds behavior. The 2^nd objective is determination of the role which technical arrangement of the process can play for selection of the technology for modern lead operation. The paper reviews peculiarities of the technical arrangement of the direct lead smelting operations, physical-and-chemical patterns of lead and lead compounds behavior in these processes, as well as technological capabilities of direct smelting processes with regard to the quality of lead feed. The paper makes a special reference to the peculiarities and advantages of KIVCET process, which is the oxygen-flash smelting process developed in Kazakhstan. The main conclusion made in the paper is the possibility to restrain the impact which the nature of lead and lead compounds have on technological capabilities of direct lead smelting through specific technical arrangement of the process. Taking this circumstance into account can be useful when making a choice of the technology for lead operation, considering the necessity to get it integrated with other metallurgical operations and design feed quality.

1. Habashi F. Hydrometallurgy of Lead. Zinc and Lead Metallurgy : Proceedings of the 47th Annual Conference of Metallurgists. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 24–27 August 2008. pp. 143–157.
2. Pyatt J., Maccagni M. Meeting the Needs of Tomorrow: A Breakthrough Technology For Producing Lead Metal. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2010 International Conference. Vancouver, Canada, 3–6 October 2010. pp. 47–56.
3. Frias C., Frades M., Pecharroman E., Diaz G. Pilot Plant Demonstration of the Primalead Process Confirms the Viability to Get Green Lead Product from Mine Lead. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2010 International Conference. Vancouver, Canada, 3–6 October 2010. pp. 1135–1144.
4. Wujun T. Development of China’s Lead and Zinc Industry. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2010 International Conference. Vancouver, Canada, 3–6 October 2010. pp. 83–92.
5. Zhang W. Development & Outlook for Chinese Lead. Proceedings of ILZDA International Conference on 2014 “Lead & Lead Batteries — Towards Sustainable Development”. New Delhi, India, 28–29 July 2014. pp. A14–A22.
6. William F. J. EPA Shutting Down Last-standing U.S. Primary Lead Smelter. Available at: https://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/sectors/item/16880-epa-shutting-down-last-standing-u-s-primary-lead-smelter (Accessed 11.06.2018).
7. Port Pirie Redevelopment. Available at: https://www.nyrstar.com/en/about-us/operations/port-pirie-redevelopment (Accessed 11.06.2018).

8. Shumskiy V., Leiman S. The current state and perspectives of the technological development of lead industry. Proceedings of the 2014 — Sustainable Industrial Summit SIPS 2014. Vol. 3: Non-Ferrous & Iron_Steel. Cancun, Mexico, 29 June – 04 July, 2014. pp. 201–218.
9. Shumskiy V. A. Grade of lead material — is the basic for the choice of lead smelting technology. Reports of the First Conference of World New Technology and Equipment of Lead Smelting. Anyang, China, 15–17 October 2007. pp. 41–56.
10. Shumskiy V. A. Role of the Raw Material Grade at the Lead Smelting Process Selecting. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2010 International Conference. Vancouver, Canada, 3–6 October 2010. pp. 475–481.
11. Danielson V. Cominco nixes QSL technology. Available at: http://www.northernminer.com/news/cominco-nixes-qsl-technology/1000137046/?&er=NA (Accessed: 11.06.2018).
12. Ashman D. W. et al. Cominco’s New Lead Smelter at Trail Operations. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2000 Symposium. Pittsburgh, USA, 22–25 October 2000. pp. 171–185.
13. Willis G. M. The Physical Chemistry of Lead Extraction. Proceedings of a World Symposium on Metallurgy and Environmental Control “Lead-Zinc-Tin ’80”. Las Vegas, USA, 24–28 February 1980. pp. 457–476.
14. Wang X. China’s SKS Lead Smelting Technology — Oxygen Bottom Blowing Smelting Technology & Its Applications. Proceedings of ILZDA International Conference on 2014 “Lead & Lead Batteries — Towards Sustainable Development”. New Delhi, India, 28–29 July 2014. pp. D21–D28.
15. Lin Chen, Tianzu Yang, Shu Bin, Weifeng Liu, Duchao Zhang, Wanda Bin, Li Zhang. An Efficient Reactor for High-Lead Slag Reduction Process: Oxygen-Rich Side Blow Furnace. JOM. 2014. Vol. 66, No. 9. pp. 1664–1669.
16. Mounsey E. N., Piret N. L. A Review of Ausmelt Technology for Lead Smelting. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2000 Symposium. Pittsburgh, USA, 23–25 October 2000. pp. 149–169.
17. Matthew S. P. et al. The Continuous Isasmelt Lead Process. Proceedings of a World Symposium on Metallurgy & Environmental Control “Lead-Zinc’90”. Anaheim, USA, 18–21 February 1990. pp. 889–901.
18. Leeladhar P. Indian Lead Industry and Contribution of Hindustan Zinc Ltd. Proceedings of the 18 th International Lead Conference “Pb 2013”. Prague, Czech Republic, 19–21 June 2013. Available at: http://www.ila-lead.org/UserFiles/File/conferences/pb2013/conference-files/Session%201/1.4%20Leeladhar%20Patidar.pdf (Accessed 18.02.2016).
19. Walker M. J., Reynolds D. R., Lee G. W. The New Cominco Lead Smelter at Trail. Proceedings of a World Symposium on Metallurgy & Environmental Control “Lead-Zinc’90”. Anaheim, USA, 18–21 February 1990. pp. 919–932.
20. Pullenberg R., Rohkohl A. Modern Lead Smelting at the QSL-Plant Berzelius Metall in Stolberg, Germany. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2000 Symposium. Pittsburgh, USA, 23–25 October 2000. pp. 127–148.
21. Wang Ch. et al. Development and Industrial Application of an Improved Lead Oxygen-Enriched Flash Smelting Process. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on High-Temperature Metallurgical Processing. San Diego, USA, 16–20 February 2014. pp. 239–246.
22. Sannikov Y. I., Liamina M. A., Shumskij V. A., Grinin Y. A., Radashin M. V. A physical and chemical description of the Kivcet lead flash smelting process. CIM Bulletin. 1998. Vol. 91, No. 1022. pp. 76–81.
23. Slobodkin L. V. et al. The Kivcet Treatment of Polymetallic Feeds. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2000 Symposium. Pittsburgh, USA, 22–25 October 2000. pp. 687–691.
24. Liamina M. A. et al. Analysis of dust formation in the oxygen flash smelting of lead-bearing feeds in the KIVCET smelter. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2000 Symposium. Pittsburgh, USA, 22–25 October 2000. pp. 361–370.
25. Rioux D. J., Stephens R. L., Richards G. G. Teck Cominco’s Kivcet™ Furnace Operation — The First 10 Years. Proceedings of the 47th Annual Conference of Metallurgists. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 24–27 August 2008. pp. 15–27.
26. Shumskiy V., Ushakov N. Lead and Zinc Raw Material Complex Processing. Proceedings of the Lead-Zinc 2010 International Conference. Vancouver, Canada, 3–6 October 2010. pp. 1049–1055.
27. Longu D., Galleri A. Kivcet Feed Flexibility: 28 Years Of Experience At Portovesme. Proceedings of the 2015 Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit SIPS 2015. Vol. 5: Vanyukov International Symposium on Non-ferrous and KIVCET. Antalya, Turkey, 04–09 October 2015. pp. 65–77.
28. Rioux D., Aiken G., Reynolds D., Verhelst D., Teck's Kivcetтм Furnace Integrity — 18 Year Review. Proceedings of the 2015 Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit SIPS 2015. Vol. 5: Vanyukov International Symposium on Nonferrous and KIVCET. Antalya, Turkey, 04–09 October 2015. pp. 109–118.
29. Zhang Leru. Applications Of KIVCET Process For Pb Smelting In China. Proceedings of the 2015 Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit SIPS 2015. Vol. 5: Vanyukov International Symposium on Non-ferrous and KIVCET. Antalya, Turkey, 04–09 October 2015. pp. 131–138.
30. Li Ya., Jiang J., Xiao H., Peng G. First Application Of The KIVCET Process In China. Proceedings of the 2015 Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit SIPS 2015. Vol. 5: Vanyukov International Symposium on Non-ferrous and KIVCET. pp. 149–158.
31. Shumskiy V. et al. Smelting of Gold-Bearing Raw Materials as Solution for Improvement of Lead Production Profitability. Proceedings of the 2015 Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit SIPS 2015. Vol. 5: Vanyukov International Symposium on Non-ferrous and KIVCET. pp. 159–167.
32. Sannikov Yu. I. Some theoretical issues of lead feed smelting in KIVCETTsC unit equipped with coke checker. Tsvetnye Metally. 1990. No. 5. pp. 19–24.
33. Gudima N. V., Sheyn Ya. P. Reference book on non-ferrous metals metallurgy. Moscow: Metallurgiya, 1975. 536 p.
34. Choi C. Y., Lee Y. H. Treatment of Zinc Residues by Ausmelt Technology at Onsan Zinc Refinery. Proceedings of the REWAS’99 — Global Symposium on Recycling Waste Treatment and Clean Technology. San Sebastian, Spain, 5–9 September 1999. Vol. 2. pp. 1613–1622.
35. Creedy S. et al. Sustainable Treatment of Zinc Containing Secondary Materials Using Outotec® Ausmelt Technology. Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Non-ferrous Minerals & Metals 2014. Nagpur, India, 2014. pp. 1/1–9.