A CONTINUOUS TWO STAGE PROCESS FOR THE SMELTING OF LEAD AND ZINC

摘要

There is disclosed a continuous direct process of lead smelting comprising a step of blowing a compounded feedstock by means of an oxygen-enriched air or oxygen into a smelting zone containing a molten lead bath with a blast pressure by which the compounded feedstock can penetrate into the molten lead bath, at a temperature at which the oxidation reaction of the lead sulfide concentrate can be sustained, said feedstock containing particulate or powdered lead sulfide concentrate and a flux and further containing a fuel when oxygen-enriched air is used, whereby the lead sulfide is oxidized to form crude lead and slag; and a step of transferring the molten crude lead and the slag formed in said first step to a reduction zone, where the slag is contacted with a reducing agent so as to reduce the lead substances in the slag and return the reduced lead to the crude lead.