Evaluation and Certification Strategies
for Lead–Zinc-Bearing Residues
J. Antrekowitsch and G. Hanke
Abstract While the recycling of metallic scrap is nowadays state of the art, metalcontaining by-products from the metallurgical industry represent a new potential
secondary resource. Huge amounts of such materials are available worldwide either
on dumps or continuously produced. However, their complex composition renders a
detailed characterization difficult, resulting in few and weakly developed recycling
concepts available to date. To realize this potential in the future, more bundled competence is necessary. Montanuniversität Leoben has already developed some expertise
in the field of typical by-products such as dust, slags, and sludge. Due to the genesis
of the primary polymetallic ores, it is especially the metallurgical processes used in
the copper, lead, and zinc industries that offer a high potential in their by-products.
To allow an assessment of these materials, a certification system similar to the ones
already existing for primary resources needs to be established. This, in turn, will
be of major use as a basis for investment decisions and relevant feasibility studies
turning these often untouched materials into valuable resources.
Introduction
Investigating the development of primary metal resources a tendency becomes obvious nowadays that can be summarized by two trends, the decrease of metal grades
and the increase of unwanted impurities. The following statistics (Fig. 1) illustrates
the metal grade decrease with the example zinc and lead ores.
This development for zinc and lead (Fig. 1, left) clearly shows a decrease from
about 10% in 1972 to about 4–6% in 2016. This must be seen as relevant change,
especially facing only a moderate development of smelting technologies within this
J. Antrekowitsch (B)
Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, University of Leoben, Leoben, Austria
e-mail: juergen.antrekowitsch@unileoben.ac.at
G. Hanke
Chair of Geology and Economic Geology, University of Leoben, Leoben, Austria
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2020
A. Siegmund et al. (eds.), PbZn 2020: 9th International Symposium
on Lead and Zinc Processing, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37070-1_27
309
for Lead–Zinc-Bearing Residues
J. Antrekowitsch and G. Hanke
Abstract While the recycling of metallic scrap is nowadays state of the art, metalcontaining by-products from the metallurgical industry represent a new potential
secondary resource. Huge amounts of such materials are available worldwide either
on dumps or continuously produced. However, their complex composition renders a
detailed characterization difficult, resulting in few and weakly developed recycling
concepts available to date. To realize this potential in the future, more bundled competence is necessary. Montanuniversität Leoben has already developed some expertise
in the field of typical by-products such as dust, slags, and sludge. Due to the genesis
of the primary polymetallic ores, it is especially the metallurgical processes used in
the copper, lead, and zinc industries that offer a high potential in their by-products.
To allow an assessment of these materials, a certification system similar to the ones
already existing for primary resources needs to be established. This, in turn, will
be of major use as a basis for investment decisions and relevant feasibility studies
turning these often untouched materials into valuable resources.
Introduction
Investigating the development of primary metal resources a tendency becomes obvious nowadays that can be summarized by two trends, the decrease of metal grades
and the increase of unwanted impurities. The following statistics (Fig. 1) illustrates
the metal grade decrease with the example zinc and lead ores.
This development for zinc and lead (Fig. 1, left) clearly shows a decrease from
about 10% in 1972 to about 4–6% in 2016. This must be seen as relevant change,
especially facing only a moderate development of smelting technologies within this
J. Antrekowitsch (B)
Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, University of Leoben, Leoben, Austria
e-mail: juergen.antrekowitsch@unileoben.ac.at
G. Hanke
Chair of Geology and Economic Geology, University of Leoben, Leoben, Austria
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2020
A. Siegmund et al. (eds.), PbZn 2020: 9th International Symposium
on Lead and Zinc Processing, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37070-1_27
309