Low temperature, non-SO.sub.2 polluting, kettle process for separation of lead from lead sulfide-containing material
US4333763A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 20, 1980 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2000 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC22B13/02
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Lead is separated from material containing lead sulfide, e.g. galena ore concentrate, by a substantially autogenous process involving establishing a pool of molten lead in a kettle, adding a metallic alkali metal, e.g. metallic sodium, to the molten lead in an amount sufficient to reduce the combined lead of the lead sulfide to metallic lead, adding the ore concentrate to the molten lead pool, and mixing together the metallic sodium, molten lead and ore concentrate. The sodium reacts rapidly and exothermically with the lead sulfide to reduce the combined lead of the lead sulfide to metallic lead and form sodium sulfide. The thus-liberated metallic lead reports in the molten lead pool, and a matte phase containing the sodium sulfide separates from the molten lead and forms on the surface of the molten lead pool. Lead sulfide from an excess of the ore concentrate, or other suitable added flux, which is usually added to the molten lead pool, serves to flux the sodium sulfide-containing matte phase to attain desired fluid and low melting characteristics of the matte phase. The process herein employs a kettle as the reactor, ordinarily the steel refining kettle of a lead refinery, is a …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.