Search Documents

By T. Holmes, S. Davison

"A surge bin at Agrium’s Vanscoy potash operations has been plagued with flow, wear, and corrosion issues since being built in 1967. The culprits? The bin’s carbon-steel construction, geometry, and the resultant funnel-flow pattern are the root causes. An investigation and cost analysis indicated that hopper redesign and retrofit would increase production and reduce maintenance and capital costs. The retrofitted bin provides safer, more reliable operation and has a much longer predicted working life. Using this example, the authors describe bulk-solids-flow theory and highlight the importance of customizing bulk-material-handling-system design using appropriate flow properties to improve reliability, safety, and cost effectiveness.RÉSUMÉ Depuis sa construction en 1967, un réservoir intermédiaire de l’exploitation de potasse Vanscoy d’Agrium connaît des problèmes de débit, d’usure et de corrosion. Les responsables ? La construction en acier ordinaire du réservoir, sa géométrie et la structure de débit en résultant au niveau de la carotte en sont les causes fondamentales. Une étude et une analyse des coûts indiquaient que la restructuration et la rénovation de la trémie permettraient d’augmenter la production et de réduire les coûts d’entretien et en capital. Un réservoir rénové permet de renforcer la sécurité ainsi que la fiabilité de l’exploitation, et sa durée d’activité prévue en est augmentée. En se fondant sur cet exemple, les auteurs de l’article décrivent la théorie du débit de matières solides en vrac et insistent sur l’importance de personnaliser la conception du système de manutention des matériaux en vrac à l’aide de propriétés rhéologiques adaptées afin d’améliorer la fiabilité, la sûreté et la rentabilité.INTRODUCTIONIn early 2013, Agrium’s Vanscoy Potash Operations (VPO) engaged Jenike & Johanson Ltd. (J&J) to provide testing, consulting, and structural engineering services related to proposed modifications to the 270 t special standard product surge bin, which Agrium planned to undertake during a two-week shutdown in August 2013. The bin, which had been plagued with flow, wear, and corrosion issues for its entire working life, was essential for the continuous operation of two of VPO’s compaction plants and for efficient dispatching to loadout. The bin often experienced product hang-ups, clumping on the walls, and plugging at the hopper outlet. Two recent unscheduled mill shutdowns had been partially attributed to flow issues in the bin due to clumping and product plugging up at the screws. These problems increased maintenance costs, limited production capacity, and degraded product quality. Holes and paper-thin sections in the bin walls discovered during a 2013 inspection revealed the potential for major hot material leaks or even structural failure. Either issue would stop plant operations until the bin could be repaired or bypassed. Clearly, the bin cone had reached the end of its life and required replacement."

Jan 1, 2018

By William G. Pariseau

Solvay Chemicals Company mines trona in south-central Wyoming and has done so for many years. The mine is one of several in a mid-continent sedimentary basin that hosts the largest trona resource in the world. Trona is an evaporite, a sesquicarbonate that occurs in several seams of varying thicknesses and depths. Trona is processed into soda ash which has a number of industrial uses in the manufacture of glass, detergent, paper and chemicals. Figure 1 shows the location of the Solvay Mine. A ventilation shaft was recently excavated at Solvay Chemical Company’s mine in the trona patch. In fact, a 22 ft (6.7 m) diameter shaft (inside diameter) was bored upwards from the 1500 ft (457 m) level to the surface. The first bored section was 26 ft (7.9 m) in diameter that allowed for a 2 ft (0.6 m) thick concrete liner. This section began at a depth of approximately 1500 ft (457 m). A second bored section was 24 ft, (7.3 m) in diameter that allowed for a 1 ft (0.3 m) thick concrete liner. This section began at a depth of approximately 750 ft (229 m). This shaft is the #5 Shaft. Figure 2 shows the cutter head used to excavate the shaft.

Feb 1, 2025

The purpose of this paper is to present validation studies of the mine-fire simulator using data gathered from an actual mine fire which occurred in November 1991 at the Pattiki Mine. To develop the model of the ventilation system with the fire in this validation study, the following adjustments were made: (1) flow and gas distribution in the entire ventilation network, and (2) fire parameters matching the data recorded by the monitoring system. After close correlations between simulation and real data were achieved, additional analysis of the ventilation system with the mine fire was performed. Presented and discussed in this paper are the following stages of the fire at the Pattiki Mine: (1) early fire (before the fire was detected), (2) preparation for and fire fighting with water, (3) fire sealing, and (4) fire extinguishing. This study evaluates the suitability of the computer software package for modeling underground fires. The paper also discusses the importance of the on-line monitoring system for the validation process.

Jan 1, 1995

By W. G. Pariseau

A study of coal pillar strength was done at the Beehive Mine during a three year period, 1974?1977, in a cooperative effort involving the University of Utah, RE/SPEC, Inc., and the American Coal Company (Pariseau et al, 1977). The Beehive Mine is located in the Wasatch Plateau coal field in central Utah near Orangeville, Utah, where mines are developed from outcrops between steep canyon walls with topographic relief of a kilometer or so (3,600 ft). Coal is found in Cretaceous sediments that dip gently to the west. Detailed geology of the Wasatch Plateau is described by Doelling (1972). Mining was done in the Blind Canyon seam. An earlier Deseret Mine worked the Hiawatha seam that is lower in the stratigraphic column by about 36 m (120 ft). Mining progress and ownership changes occurred in time with mine mergers and name changes eventually to the collective Des-Bee-Dove label. At the Beehive Mine, depth varied with topography but was approximately 360 m (1200 ft) on average; seam thickness varied from 1.5 to 6 m (5 to 20 ft) and usually required two passes of the miner. The mine was eventually closed and finally reclaimed in 2003. Semborski and Oakley (2006) present a brief history of the mine and describe the reclamation work in some detail. Figure 1 shows the surface topography in the vicinity of the mine that is in the center of the figure.

Feb 23, 2014

By W. G. Pariseau

A study of coal pillar strength at the Beehive Mine in central Utah was done in the 1970s. This study was a cooperative effort by the University of Utah, RE/SPEC, Inc., and the American Coal Company and was funded by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Mine measurements of closure at 117 points and pillar stress using 119 vibrating wire stress gauges were made during retreat mining in this room-and-pillar operation. Laboratory testing for the strength and modulus of 372 coal cylinders up 0.3 m (1 ft) in diameter and 0.6 m (2 ft) in length was also done. Two-dimensional finite element model analyses complemented the study. However, the real world of mining is three-dimensional and in consideration of the significant advances in computing power since the time of the original study, a revisit of the data seemed warranted. In this regard, a novel finite element method was used that allows for the whole-mine analysis of tabular excavations on the kilometer scale and yet enables details to be obtained at pillar walls on the meter scale. The effects of material properties variability in situ and of joints can also be taken into account. Results that compare computed two- and three-dimensional seam-level closures with mine measurements show noticeable differences; three-dimensional results are reasonable, while two-dimensional results overestimate closure by nearly a factor of two.

Jan 1, 2014

By François DUMORTIER

Due to the increasingly stringent requirements and the needs of the automotive industry, galvanizing lines for automotive products have to be modernized and improved. Beginning of 2017, SEGAL, a Tata Steel CGL located in BELGIUM and fully dedicated to automotive market, placed an order to increase the line capacity from 550kt/year to 600kt/year to process a wider range of steel grades and improve the product quality according to automotive requirements. To improve quality, a major revamping of the skin pass was necessary. The objectives were first to increase the work roll diameter from Φ560mm to Φ650mm to be able to transfer the required roughness with low elongation on soft material and second to increase the rolling force and tension to reach higher elongation on high strength steels. The result was the adaptation of the whole skin pass mechanics. Old mechanical elongation system has been replaced by a completely new single AC motor with helical gearbox at each bridle roll. John Cockerill achieved such complicated revamping in a very short time since the shutdown started only 6 month after the contract signature. The shutdown down schedule has been optimized with pre-erection works and the teams working 24/7 to implement all the changes. The complete project (skin pass, furnace, loopers) have been adapted during the three weeks shutdown. Today the customer can use both 560mm and 650mm work roll diameters. Thanks to the use of the new 650mm work roll diameter, the customer is able to make the same elongation using a bigger roll force (average 20% more), which has strongly improved the roughness transfer to the strip and the removal of the defects. SEGAL is really satisfied able to produce and supply higher quality automotive products to his customers.

Oct 1, 2019

During the latter part of 1937 consideration was given to the construction of a; local smelting plant for producing blister copper. Previously copper concentrates had been shipped to the United States of America. The proposition had the advantages of a saving in cost of realization, quicker financial return and reduced dependence on overseas shipping.The smelter was designed by the existing staff, who had difficulty in obtaining data on small plants, particularly on the reverberatory furnace. Construction was started in March, 1938, and the reverberatory was blown in on January 16th, 1939. One roaster had been operating for several weeks prior to this date.While results and operating technique on this new departure in small-scale smelting are barely beyond the experimental stage, it is felt that the experience gained to this time should be recorded to help fill the obvious gap in published information covering plants of this type.At present there are three copper smelters operating in Australia; the other two plants are equipped with blast furnaces.LOCATIONThe new smelter is situated in a position convenient to the concentrator and to the power plant. The site is traversed on two sides by a brick flue, from an old smelter plant, which connects with a 250-ft. stack. This stack and portion of the old flue are used in connection with the...

Jan 1, 1939

By L O. Filippov, C H. Veloso de Melo, A Correa De Araujo

Froth flotation of iron ores is one of the most widely used methods to upgrade iron ore into high-grade concentrates. In recent years, reverse cationic flotation of iron ores has been specifically the subject of several studies. Since quartz is the most common gangue mineral in iron ores, understanding the behaviour of this mineral was the main target of the majority of such studies. However, with the depletion of mineral deposits considered rich and easy to process, it has become more common to find iron ores with complex gangue minerals, which are composed not only of quartz but by a variety of silicates. The mineralogical composition of the ore is an important factor for determining reagents and mineral processing parameters. The mineralogical suite of an ore also presents a paramount role for operational optimisation of any given flotation process. Some studies were performed with different types of amphiboles and other Fe-bearing silicates, for example, but the influence of the mineralogical nature of these silicates in reverse cationic flotation has not been fully explored and will be discussed here. Changes in the traditionally used reagent scheme for reverse cationic flotation, generally including alkaline pH values, polysaccharides as depressant (mainly starches) and primary ether amines and diamines, are expected when dealing with iron ores with complex silicate gangue composition.CITATION:Veloso de Melo, C H, Correa de Araujo, A and Filippov, L O, 2017. Reverse cationic flotation of iron ores with complex silicate gangue minerals, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 241–244 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By Kari Niiranen, Patrick Krolop, Viktoria Töyrä

Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) operates an iron ore mine, three beneficiation plants and three pelletizing plants in Kiruna, Sweden. The current methods of separation in the beneficiation plants are wet low intensity magnetic separation (WLIMS) and reverse apatite flotation, where the WLIMS stage is regarded as the crucial part of silica separation from the ore. Currently, the high-grade iron ore deposit of Kiirunavaara has a low grade of silica in situ, of approximately 3.0% SiO2, but the silica grade is expected to increase in the deeper parts of the deposit with a complex silicate mineralogy. An increasing silica grade will affect especially the production of direct reduction pellets (LKAB DR Oxide Pellets), one of the main products of LKAB in Kiruna with an average silica grade of under 0.75% SiO2. The silica grade in the magnetite concentrate is normally limited to a maximum level of 0.55% SiO2 in order to achieve the required chemical composition in the pelletizing process. In order to study the possibility to reduce silicate content in the magnetite concentrate (pellet feed) in the beneficiation plants in Kiruna obtained by wet low intensity magnetic separation (WLIMS), enlarged mineral processing test work was carried out in the LKAB’s mineral processing laboratories in 2016. The test work consisted of comminution, low intensity magnetic separation and reverse cationic silicate flotation at laboratory scale, complemented by screen analysis, chemical assays and mineralogical investigation. The results of these mineral processing test work showed that the magnetic separation is not sufficient to reduce the silica content in the magnetite concentrate, particularly in the case of the high-SiO2 ore type B2-a. The reverse cationic flotation can be regarded as a possible solution to reduce the silicate content in the magnetite concentrate obtained by WLIMS and to achieve the required silica grade of less than 0.55 % SiO2 in the pellet feed. The results of this study provide a good basis to understand the behaviour of different silicates in the existing beneficiation process. Furthermore, it serves valuable information for development of new beneficiation processes and for investment in new equipment at the beneficiation plants in Kiruna in the future.

Jan 1, 2018

By Ammar Henchiri, Godfrey McDonald

"Breakwater Tunisia S.A.’s Bougrine mine is located in a semi-arid region of Tunisia characterized with Triassic salt domes. Due to extensive agricultural land-use in the mine area, a zero-discharge tailings facility design and high water recycling rates to the concentrator were chosen to minimize the environmental impact to the surrounding area. The process water supply has an accumulation of naturally occurring salts due to high evaporation rates and the need to recycle 70% of the process water. The elevated salt content of the process water had an adverse effect on the efficiency of the flotation reagents, which led to the production of lower quality zinc concentrate.The impact of the water salinity on the zinc concentrate quality was documented by extensive laboratory testing. A feasibility study was prepared and a decision was made to install a reverse osmosis plant for desalination of the process water. A plant was constructed during 2000 which currently supplies up to 85 m3/hr of de-mineralized water, equal to approximately 45% of the total process water requirement. The salinity of the process water decreased from about ten to twelve grams per litre before installation to less than three grams per litre. Together with minor modifications to the concentrator circuit, Breakwater Tunisia has increased the zinc concentrate grade from 50% zinc to 55% zinc without compromising the zinc recovery rate of approximately 84%.This paper discusses the successful installation of a reverse osmosis desalination plant that allowed Breakwater Tunisia to improve the grade of the Bougrine mine zinc concentrate and thus increase the net smelter return.INTRODUCTIONBreakwater Resources Ltd., through a wholly owned subsidiary, Breakwater Tunisia S.A., acquired the Bougrine underground mine and related assets in September 1997. During the winter of 1997/1998, the company rehabilitated the mining equipment, modified the concentrator circuit, developed a new mine ventilation system and prepared a new mining production program. The mine was reopened on May 2, 1998 and was in commercial production as of June 1, 1998."

Jan 1, 2003

By T Trott, M Lewis, G Lumley

The analysis of equipment trends in The AusIMMÆs revision of Monograph 19 - Australasian Mining and Metallurgical Operating Practices (AMMOP) (in prep) in the paper by Graham Lumley raised some interesting, and in parts disturbing, trends in the Australian open cut mining industry. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) the productivity of the whole mining industry is down by 34 per cent since 2001. In terms of open cut equipment, median output for draglines is down by 15 per cent since 2003, electric rope shovels are down by 41 per cent since 2003, hydraulic excavators are down by 39 per cent since 2008, front-end loaders are down by 39 per cent since 2007 and trucks are down by 41 per cent since 2006. Clearly e boom has not been good for the efficiency of the mines. During this same time, best practice (defined as the average of the top ten per cent by annual output per unit of input) has declined, but not by as much as the median (eg shovels down by eight per cent, excavators down by 19 per cent and FELs down by five per cent). This paper will build on the analysis of AMMOP to understand the differences occurring between median and best practice and identify the factors contributing to the decline in performance. As the industry enters a period of potentially lower prices for commodities and reduced margins, pressure will be brought to bear on mine sites to start moving more with the equipment they have. An understanding of where efficiency has been lost will be a key component in that. The information contained in AMMOP, and the subsequent analysis of that information in papers such as this one, will be crucial to reversing the decline in open cut equipment performance.CITATION:Lumley, G, Trott, T and Lewis, M, 2012. Reversing the trend in open pit mining equipment output, in Proceedings Eighth Open Pit OperatorsÆ Conference , pp 75-82 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 18, 2012

Stope support systems, typically consisting of props and packs, are used extensively in the gold and platinum mining industry to stabilize the rock mass in the excavation vicinity and to reduce the hazard associated with rockfalls and rockbursts. The design of stope support systems was historically based predominantly on past experience and practices, and cost considerations. The recent development of a new and improved support design methodology, has led to the potential for significant increases in worker safety and support cost savings. This paper reviews some of the fundamental rock mass and support criteria that form the basis of the improved support design methodology. The considered design criteria are the height of potential fall; quasi-static stope closure rates; dynamic stope closure rates; compressive hangingwall stresses; discontinuity spacing, orientation and interface properties; effect of support length (stoping width); effect of compression rate; consistency of support performance; a real coverage; support spacing; and zone of support influence. The proposed support design methodology combines both the zone of influence and key block stability theories, resulting in optimized support systems for rockfall and rockburst conditions. The site-specific methodology consists of two stages: (i) a tributary area analysis, and (ii) a zone of support influence and a stability analysis, considering hangingwall failure due to buckling, shear and block rotation, which gives maximum safe spacing of individual support units. The methodology is suitable for designing support systems for both blocky hangingwalls and hangingwalls fragmented by face-parallel extension and shear fractures.

Jan 1, 2001

By F. T. Rabbitts

Introduction When the investigation of radioactive ores began at the Mines Branch about five years ago it was at once evident that improved chemical methods for the determination of uranium were essential. The published methods available were time-consuming and insensitive and were lacking in accuracy and precision. It was desirable to obtain methods which would be rapid, sensitive, and accurate. They should also allow for the possible presence of any interfering elements and should be adaptable to routine analysis by technicians. Chemical methods are necessary to provide standard analysed samples for counting and to check analyses by counter methods. Moreover, counter methods cannot be used, and only chemical methods are suitable, when the sample is not in equilibrium, as with weathered minerals and leach residues. As leaching processes are improved, more sensitive chemical methods are required for the increasingly lower content of uranium in the leached residues. When the leaching process reaches the plant stage, speed of analysis becomes more important, without sacrificing accuracy. The purpose of this paper is to describe briefly .the methods used at the Mines Branch for the chemical analysis of uranium in ores. These methods represent the results of investigations by a number of groups in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.

Jan 1, 1952

By Whitmell J. Smithwick

Lime is one of the most extensively used chemicals in industry. Other than sulfuric acid, it is used in greater quantities than any other man-made industrial chemical. In 1974 there were 20,368,000 tons of lime used in the United States, which amounts to approximately 190 pounds for each man, woman and child in our nation. Lime also is perhaps the most diversely used of any industrial chemical. It is used in such areas as pharmaceutical, chemical, steel making, glass making, production of copper and aluminum, sugar refining, agriculture, construction, ecological endeavors, potable water treatment and sanitation. Figure I lists the major uses of lime for 1974, which is the latest year for which this data is available. The impact of the use of lime for ecological reasons did not show up to any appreciable extent in 1974, but we expect this to be a significant factor within the next few years. Fortunately, in the United States and also in most of the world, there are many deposits of high quality limestone available for the production of hood quality lime. For this discussion, we will assure that a limestone of a suitable quality and size consist will be available in a storage bin or stockpile near the kiln. Quality requirements for the lime product will be covered. We also will give a brief description of the three most popular types of lime calcining systems, how they function, and expected lime product quality from each of these. Commercial fuels and major accessory equipment will be discussed briefly.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. R. Ross

"THE ASSESSMENT of pneumoconiosis-producing dusts in mines and other industries is usually undertaken for one or more of three reasons: (1) To compare dust exposures at particular operations with standards of permissible dustiness in order that hazards may be evaluated and preventive procedures initiated where required.(2) To study particular operations with the objective of improving dust control devices or procedures by locating dust sources. (3) To obtain data which, along with the results of medical investigations, may assist in understanding the causes of dust-induced diseases or aid in the establishment of permissible standards of dustiness. Most dust measurements are made for the first of these reasons -to evaluate dust hazards so that they may be controlled. For this purpose, four quite different assessment techniques have been in widespread use for many years. One of these is based on the konimeter, an instrument familiar to most .Canadian mining men; a second on the impinger, which is also widely used in Canada, and almost exclusively so in the United States; a third on the thermal precipitator, used extensively in Britain and South Africa; and a fourth on the tyndallometer, a light-scattering instrument used in Germany."

Jan 1, 1960

By Johnny Zhang, Yang Anguo, Li Weifeng, Xueyi Guo

"SKSTM oxygen bottom blowing smelting technology was developed by SKS-ENFI at SKS Smelter, Hunan in the 1990s to replace the conventional sintering process and thus to meet the high national EHS standard for lead.Since then, two major milestones have been achieved:1. Since 2002, the SKS oxygen bottom blowing smelting-blast furnace reduction has been in operation at SKS, YGL, Chizhou smelter etc. Now in China, about 50% of the lead (4.2 millions t/year) is produced using SKS process; and2. Since 2008, the blast furnace has been replaced by direct reduction of molten rich lead slag at YGJ smelter, which is more energy-efficient since no slag cooling is required. This two stage process (SKS Oxidation- Direct Reduction) is named as the YGL process.Since 2008, numerous technological innovations have been implemented in the furnace design, process control, and maintenance at YGL. The plant has been successfully demonstrated its unique excellent performances on all aspects from processing capacity, product quality, energy reduction, cost reduction and emission reduction. The purpose of this report is to update all the improvements with proven tracks.Meanwhile, a preliminary comparison on the following aspects between the YGL process and other similar technologies has been discussed:1. Plant design and operating conditions;2. Mass and heat balances, metal (Pb, Ag) recovery;3. Consumables, oxygen gun and refractory lining life;4. Energy consumption and operating costs;5. Sulfur capture and emission reduction etc.It is concluded that the modified SKSTM process is a clean SO2-free emission process. The process is characteristic of other features such as no extra fuel addition, low capital with a small foot-print design, low OPEX, high throughput, easy operation, long refractory lining life and high productivity (95%+ on line time annually). It offers an alternative cost-effective technology for lead smelting industry."

Jan 1, 2014

By A. E. M. Warner, I. E. Hills, C. L. Harris

Since the late Dr. Keith Brimacombe, et al, performed tests at the now-closed Asarco Tacoma smelter and the Inco Copper Cliff Smelter on Peirce-Smith copper converters almost thirty years ago, many Pyro-metallurgists have investigated using the technology. To the best of the authors knowledge, except for shrouded tuyere technologies using substantial oxygen enrichments, the core idea of using high pressure air injection has not been implemented anywhere in the world. This paper reviews the fundamentals of this technology and summarizes the basic economic considerations. It also presents the circumstances of where and when high-pressure injection might be justified.

Jan 1, 2007

By H. R. Weischedel

The art of wire rope inspection has advanced rapidly over the past decade. Present electromagnetic (EM) wire rope inspection instruments provide an important and often vital element of wire rope inspection. Some instruments are easy to operate and offer simple and clear data interpretation. Simultaneously, wire rope inspection and retirement standards are becoming simpler and more lucid. Future guidelines will he easy for inspectors to apply and for rope operators to fulfill. The thrust of evolving regulations is clearly toward periodic EM inspections supported by visual inspections. These development sallow even moderately skilled personnel to perform EM inspections of wire ropes. Therefore, it is now possible and cost effective for wire rope users to have EM and visual inspections performed by in-house personnel. In-house EM inspections have many advantages and offer an excellent return on the initial investment. Since EM inspections can detect rope deterioration in its beginning stage, wire rope users recognize that they are an effective preventive maintenance tool. For instance, the early detection of wear or corrosion allows immediate corrective action. This can easily double, or even triple or quadruple, the service life of a rope.

Jan 1, 1991

By P. G. Smith, A. Axiuk

The objective of this paper is to present, from a practical perspective, a review of the most relevant maintenance procedures that are accepted or prescribed to be the most effective in optimising service life potential and to ensure continued safe use of steel wire ropes for shaft mining applications. The paper will address the most common operational issues encountered in the care and operation of shaft ropes for both conventional drum hoists and multi-rope friction winders. For each distinct maintenance procedure presented, a limited amount of theory is discussed to identify the underlying mechanisms at play that must be addressed and to emphasize the logical basis for the recommended course of action. It is recognised that each installation is unique and that the recommended maintenance procedures may not always be practical or cost effective from an operations standpoint under select circumstances, however the intent remains to promote industry best practices for the knowledge and benefit of the mine hoisting community, from experienced maintenance personnel to new entrants to the industry alike.

Jan 1, 2023

By Timothy W. Ellis, Abbas H. Mirza, R. David Prengaman

Recycled lead, i.e. material produced by the recycling of lead-acid batteries, has become the primary source of lead in much of the world. This has been important to the recycled lead industry as other uses have dwindled, e.g. lead based pigments, chemicals, fuel additives, solders and CRT glasses. Presently, battery manufacturing accounts for greater than 85% of lead consumption worldwide while recycled lead accounts for approximately the same market share of lead supply. Battery manufacturing and production of recycled lead are intimately coupled. In 2007, of all the industrial base metals, lead from lead-acid batteries had the highest recycling rate in North America at greater than 95%. In this paper we will review some of the processes and technologies used in a modern lead acid battery recycling facility, and how recycled lead has become the material of choice for battery construction through the development of a recovery and refining process that exceeds the industry requirements. We will also briefly review an advanced air emissions treatment system in a modern lead recycling plant that demonstrates the feasibility of a new maximum available control technology (MACT) for secondary lead smelters.

Jan 1, 2011