Impurities in the lead concentrate of Brunswick Mining and Smelting and their behaviour in the lead blast furnace

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 78, No. 878, 1985

W. PETRUK, Mineral Processing Laboratory, CANMET, EMR, Ottawa, D.R. MORRIS, Department of Chemical Engineering,,University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, N.B.

The lead concentrate produced from the volcanogenic base metal ore of Brunswick Mining and Smelting in New Brunswick contains major to trace amounts of iron, zinc, cadmium, arsenic, antimony, copper, silver, selenium, tellurium, bismuth, sulphur, tin, indium, mercury and manganese as impurities. When the concentrate is sintered some of these impurities enter a variety of oxide phases, whereas others precipitate as metals. In the lead blast furnace the oxide phases decompose and the impurities recombine to form new phases, most are eventually discharged to the slag. The metals of the sinter remain as metals in the lead blast furnace where even more are produced, and are discharged largely with the lead bullion.

Keywords: Metallurgy, Smelters, Lead concentrates, Sintering, Brunswick Mining and Smelting, Blast furnace.