Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (PJSC), Chelyabinsk, Russia:

M. S. Varganov, Head of Revamping and New Machinery Department at the Engineering Centre, e-mail: mkv@zink.ru
D. A. Kustov, Deputy Technical Director – Head of HSE Department
O. A. Fatkhutdinova, Responsible for Construction of Local Treatment Facilities, HSE Department

This review looks at what was achieved by the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant in the environmental sphere in the last ten years. It also focuses on the study related to the removal of SO₂ and CO from emissions and waste waters generated by zinc industry. The paper describes the results of revamping and introducing new equipment to help reduce the amount of emissions in the city of Chelyabinsk. The paper gives a comparison of two commercially available and most low-cost processes to remove SO₂ from Waelz kiln gases (i.e. desulphurization processes). They are limestone wet and limestone semi-dry processes. Limestone wet process was found to be preferable for the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant in both economical and environmental terms allowing for slightly higher investment costs. The resultant plaster can be utilized as a component of filling and building mixes. The paper examines the results of a study that looked at disposal of highconcentration waste waters by fractional crystallization of sodium sulphate from the Na – K – SO₄ – Cl system resulting in the maximum production of commercial sodium sulphate and the minimum production of low-grade salts to be disposed of. A direct evaporation process was selected as it does not involve pre-treatment with reagents or the use of membrane processes. The authors describe the results of a study and a series of pilot tests that focused on purification regimes for black waters and low-concentration process waters generated by zinc industry. Since it does not appear possible to comply with the law on the quality of waste water discharged in the Miass River, which is considered to carry fishery waters, current considerations lie with closed-loop process water systems which have been and are to be implemented.

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