New Technology for Lead Production
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A new hydro-metallurgical technology for lead production, developed by Doe Run Company and Engitec, is set to establish a commercial plant with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes annually. This technology aims to enhance lead recovery to over 96% and produce 99.99% pure lead, while significantly reducing environmental impacts compared to traditional methods. The process involves leaching lead from concentrates using fluoboric acid and an electro-winning process, promising a lower carbon footprint, reduced energy consumption, and adherence to stricter regulatory standards.
New Technology for Lead Production
- 1. 1 NEW HYDRO–METALLURGICAL TECHNOLOGY FOR LEAD METAL PRODUCTION P. R. CHANDNA* A revolutionary new hydro-metallurgical technology has been developed by two companies; Doe Run Company, USA in partnership with M/s Engitec, Italy. A commercial plant for producing 60,000 tonnes per annum of lead metal at an estimated capital cost of 150 million US Dollar is envisaged setting up by Doe Run Company, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The breakthrough technology not only envisages improvements in lead processing efficiencies but also is expected to drastically reduce air emissions, waste generations and water pollution and will have smaller carbon footprint. The new process aims at achieving the following goals: 1) To provide a high recovery rate for lead metal from lead concentrates, more than 96%. 2) To achieve Doe Run’s high-purity product standards, 99.99 % pure lead. 3) To ensure cost competitiveness. 4) To meet and outperform current and near future anticipated more stringent regulatory standards. 5) To develop a process that delivers on community and societal expectations for lead metal production. New Lead Technology The new lead hydrometallurgical process is currently being referred to as the Doe Run Technology. The technology uses hydro-metallurgical process to selectively dissolve lead concentrates into an aqueous solution and then extracts the lead metal from the solution using an electric current. This electro- winning process is similar to the technology commonly used for extraction of zinc from zinc concentrates. The Zinc Technology has been in practice since 1915. But, it has never ever been used successfully in a commercial application for the primary lead production. However, a breakthrough came when Engitec identified a fluoborate electrolyte as a potential technology to recover high-purity lead with significant operational advantages over alternative processes based on ferric chloride. Since then a first pilot plant was established in the 1990s. A more than $30 million has been invested in the
- 2. 2 demonstration plant, engineering studies, and design of a commercial-scale processing facility. Process Description: A schematic showing the Doe Run technology process is given below. It uses four primary steps in extraction of lead: 1. Leaching: Multi-Stage Leaching and Purification 2. Electro-winning 3. Bleed Treatment 4. Residue Treatment: Co-Product Collection/Re-Leach Schematic of Doe Run Technology for Lead Metal Extraction (Source: Lead Zinc 2010)
- 3. 3 In the first stage the lead concentrate is leached with an oxidizing solution based on fluoboric acid. The leaching operation is a multi-stage, counter- current operation to maximize extraction of lead from the concentrate and remove impurities. The lead sulphide content in the concentrate is converted into soluble lead fluoborate and insoluble elemental sulphur, as below reaction: PbS + 2Fe(BF4)3 → Pb(BF4)2 + 2Fe(BF4)2+ S° The purified lead-bearing solution from above step is fed to an electro-winning cell in which two key electro-chemical reactions take place: 1) Plating of pure lead in the cathodic compartment; and 2) Regenerating the oxidizing compound in the anodic compartment. Pb(BF4)2 + 2Fe(BF4)2 → Pb + 2Fe(BF4)3 In the third step, the minor metallic impurities that leached into solution are precipitated and removed from the solution. Metals (Me) dissolved in a concentrated fluoboric acid solution will precipitate when sulphuric acid is added, so impurities are removed and the fluoboric acid they consumed in the leaching step is regenerated: Me(BF4)2 + H2SO4 + xH2O → MeSO4xH2O + 2HBF4 In the fourth step, sulphur contained in the residue is leached and subsequently recovered through precipitation, thus making the remaining residue available for further processing to recover other metal co-products. Also in this step, the small portion of unrecovered lead from the initial leaching step will be treated through a re-leaching process that will recover 75% to 80% of the remaining lead. This solution will then be recycled to the electro-winning circuit for plating. This brings the recovery of lead metal in the overall hydrometallurgical process to 99%. Benefits of New Lead Technology Implementation of the new technology will offer a number of advantages: 1. Smaller Carbon Footprint 2. Low Power Consumption: Lead electro-winning process is a low energy consuming, since it has one of the highest electrochemical equivalents.
- 4. 4 3. Lower Specific Energy required: As compared to the current pyro- metallurgical process, the Doe Run technology reduces the specific energy by approximately one-third. 4. Environmental Benefits: The new technology drastically reduces environmental releases, including air, water, and solid waste, that are associated with traditional technologies. Because the new process uses no furnaces, no gaseous effluents containing sulphur dioxide and particles have to be controlled and scrubbed. No acid plant is required and solid wastes also are minimized. 5. Continuous Process: The process is completely continuous and can easily be automated. 6. Quality of Product: The production of high-purity refined lead, 99.99%. 7. Modular plant design: The hydrometallurgical plant is modular and scalable, making it relatively economical to adjust for increases in capacity. In comparison, the larger capital investment required for pyro- metallurgical processes makes them economically viable only with large- capacity units. The process is likely to replace the century old conventional pyro-metallurgical process of extraction of lead smelting of sinter blast furnace route, if successfully commercialised. These developments are being watched closely by both the metallurgical industry ‘pundits’ and the investors as well. References: 1. M. Olper and M. Maccagni, “The Production of Electrolytic Lead and Elementary Sulphur from Lead Sulphide Concentrates,” Hydrometallurgy: Fundamentals, Technology, and Innovations, J.B. Hiskey and G.W. Warren, Eds., Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., Littleton, CO, 1993, 1147-1167. 2. M. Olper, “Fluoborate Technology – A New Challenging Way for Primary and Secondary Lead Processing,” Zinc and Lead Processing, J.E. Dutrizac, J.A. Gonzalez, G.L. Bolton, and P.J. Hancock, Eds., The Metallurgical Society of CIM, Montreal, QC, 1998, 185-198. *Author: A Senior Principal Consultant with M/s Yashad Consultancy (P) Ltd., New Delhi; working in the Non-Ferrous metallurgical industry.