184
R. Vanparys et al.
Conclusions
The lead blast furnace remains an important reactor for the production of lead. The
reduction reaction between coke and liquid slags is vital towards understanding it.
A novel experimental approach is taken in this work to study this reaction in a
laboratory-scale experiment that more closely resembles the conditions of the dripping zone of the lead blast furnace. By dripping synthetic lead-rich slag on small-scale
beds of metallurgical coke and analysing those beds post-reaction, a lot of interesting
surface phenomena were observed. The presence of many lead-rich spherical particles, small iron-rich phases, and lead-depleted slag was observed and verified by
EDX. Such observations have, to the author’s knowledge, not been reported before.
These indicated that initially, the direct reduction reaction did occur, since the experiments were performed under an inert atmosphere. A preferential occurrence of the
formed phases was observed near coke porosities and local depressions. Several
hypotheses to explain this behaviour were discussed, but overall it indicates the
importance of coke surface morphology in the reactivity with reducible slags.
References
1. Siegmund AHJ (2000) Primary lead production—a survey of existing smelters and refineries.
In: Lead-zinc 2000, Wiley, pp 53–116
2. Hayes P, Schlesinger M, Steil HU, Siegmund A (2010) Lead smelter survey. In: Lead-zinc
2010. Wiley, pp 345–413
3. Hussain MM, Morris DR (1986) Reduction of lead minerals by CO/CO 2 gas mixtures: application of the grain model. Metall Trans B 17(3):575–586
4. Hussain MM (1987) Ore reduction kinetics and simulation of a lead blast furnace. Ph.D. Thesis,
University of New Brunswick
5. Chao JT (1981) Analysis of packed bed processes: I. Simulation of a lead blast furnace. II.
Analysis of adsorptive separation processes. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New Brunswick
6. Morris DR, Amero BR, Evans PG, Petruk W, Owens DR (1983) Reactions of sinter in a lead
blast furnace. Metall Trans B 14(4):617–623
7. Chao JT (1981) A dynamic simulation of a lead blast furnace. Metall Trans B 12(2):385–402
8. Chao JT, Dugdale PJ, Morris DR, Steward FR (1978) Gas composition, temperature and pressure measurements in a lead blast furnace. Metall Trans B 9(3):293–300
9. Zhao G (1993) Coke performance in lead blast furnaces. Ph.D. Thesis, Monash University
10. Vanparys R, Brooks G, Rhamdhani A, Crivits T (2019) Slag-coke interactions in the lead blast
furnace. In: EMC 2019, vol. 1, pp 181–196
11. Bale C, Chartrand P, Degterov S, Eriksson G, Hack K, Mahfoud RB, Melançon J, Pelton A,
Petersen S (2002) FactSage thermochemical software and databases. Calphad 26(2):189–228
12. Husslage WM, Reuter MA, Heerema RH, Bakker T, Steeghs AG (2005) Flow of molten slag
and iron at 1500 ◦ C to 1600 ◦ C through packed coke beds. Metall Mater Trans B 36:765–776
13. George HL, Longbottom RJ, Chew SJ, Pinson DJ, Monaghan BJ (2014) Characterisation of
coke packed beds after liquid slag flow at 1500 ◦ C by image analysis. ISIJ Int 54(8):1790–1796
14. George HL, Longbottom RJ, Chew SJ, Monaghan BJ (2014) Flow of molten slag through a
coke packed bed. ISIJ Int 54(4):820–826
15. Chatain D, Galy D (2006) Interfaces between Pb grains and Cu surfaces. J Mater Sci
41(23):7769–7774
R. Vanparys et al.
Conclusions
The lead blast furnace remains an important reactor for the production of lead. The
reduction reaction between coke and liquid slags is vital towards understanding it.
A novel experimental approach is taken in this work to study this reaction in a
laboratory-scale experiment that more closely resembles the conditions of the dripping zone of the lead blast furnace. By dripping synthetic lead-rich slag on small-scale
beds of metallurgical coke and analysing those beds post-reaction, a lot of interesting
surface phenomena were observed. The presence of many lead-rich spherical particles, small iron-rich phases, and lead-depleted slag was observed and verified by
EDX. Such observations have, to the author’s knowledge, not been reported before.
These indicated that initially, the direct reduction reaction did occur, since the experiments were performed under an inert atmosphere. A preferential occurrence of the
formed phases was observed near coke porosities and local depressions. Several
hypotheses to explain this behaviour were discussed, but overall it indicates the
importance of coke surface morphology in the reactivity with reducible slags.
References
1. Siegmund AHJ (2000) Primary lead production—a survey of existing smelters and refineries.
In: Lead-zinc 2000, Wiley, pp 53–116
2. Hayes P, Schlesinger M, Steil HU, Siegmund A (2010) Lead smelter survey. In: Lead-zinc
2010. Wiley, pp 345–413
3. Hussain MM, Morris DR (1986) Reduction of lead minerals by CO/CO 2 gas mixtures: application of the grain model. Metall Trans B 17(3):575–586
4. Hussain MM (1987) Ore reduction kinetics and simulation of a lead blast furnace. Ph.D. Thesis,
University of New Brunswick
5. Chao JT (1981) Analysis of packed bed processes: I. Simulation of a lead blast furnace. II.
Analysis of adsorptive separation processes. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New Brunswick
6. Morris DR, Amero BR, Evans PG, Petruk W, Owens DR (1983) Reactions of sinter in a lead
blast furnace. Metall Trans B 14(4):617–623
7. Chao JT (1981) A dynamic simulation of a lead blast furnace. Metall Trans B 12(2):385–402
8. Chao JT, Dugdale PJ, Morris DR, Steward FR (1978) Gas composition, temperature and pressure measurements in a lead blast furnace. Metall Trans B 9(3):293–300
9. Zhao G (1993) Coke performance in lead blast furnaces. Ph.D. Thesis, Monash University
10. Vanparys R, Brooks G, Rhamdhani A, Crivits T (2019) Slag-coke interactions in the lead blast
furnace. In: EMC 2019, vol. 1, pp 181–196
11. Bale C, Chartrand P, Degterov S, Eriksson G, Hack K, Mahfoud RB, Melançon J, Pelton A,
Petersen S (2002) FactSage thermochemical software and databases. Calphad 26(2):189–228
12. Husslage WM, Reuter MA, Heerema RH, Bakker T, Steeghs AG (2005) Flow of molten slag
and iron at 1500 ◦ C to 1600 ◦ C through packed coke beds. Metall Mater Trans B 36:765–776
13. George HL, Longbottom RJ, Chew SJ, Pinson DJ, Monaghan BJ (2014) Characterisation of
coke packed beds after liquid slag flow at 1500 ◦ C by image analysis. ISIJ Int 54(8):1790–1796
14. George HL, Longbottom RJ, Chew SJ, Monaghan BJ (2014) Flow of molten slag through a
coke packed bed. ISIJ Int 54(4):820–826
15. Chatain D, Galy D (2006) Interfaces between Pb grains and Cu surfaces. J Mater Sci
41(23):7769–7774