Evaluation and Certification Strategies for Lead–Zinc …
315
Characterization
Depending on the feed material used and the treatment technology applied, various
residues with different properties emerge that can be discriminated by their origin or
properties. Some of the above-described residues have already been investigated to
a certain extent with respect to characterization and a first evaluation.
Detailed geochemical and mineralogical characterization of metallurgical
residues is of highest importance in order to develop appropriate mineral processing
recipes and further on appropriate metallurgical methods to recover all metals of
interest. Hence, the following questions need to be answered:
(1) Which particles contain the metals to be recovered?
(2) What is their particle size, shape, and texture, i.e. zoned grains, coated grains?
(3) How intensive/complex are incorporated phases intergrown in different particle
fractions?
(4) What is the concentration level of metals in the major particles?
(5) Presence and concentration of deleterious elements (such as As, Cd, Hg)?
In order to separate minerals or metallurgical phases by means of mineral processing
techniques with physical, physical–chemical, and/or chemical methods, it is necessary to know the relevant phases regarding the key aspects mentioned above. In
the end, the size, shape, structure, and the chemical and mineralogical composition
define a particle [6].
Deriving from these parameters, the density, optical, electrochemical, thermal,
chemical, and mechanical characteristics of any particle can be determined. As the
way of managing a metallurgical process and its actual parameters highly affect the
residues not only in composition but also in structure, the variance of the residues’
properties with regard to mineral processing characteristics is large, even for an
existing plant in operation. In analogy to primary mineral deposits, processing results
may vary widely if these changes are not taken into account. Thus, the residue has
to be investigated and characterized properly.
Based on that, the main goal is to generate a basis for assessing possible metal or
metal compound recycling methods. Additionally, the different metallurgical possibilities for a treatment—hydro- or pyrometallurgical—need to be determined. These
results are mandatory for evaluating possible process steps that are required to generate products from the residues. To generate this information, the main properties
such as melting behavior, volatilization behavior, reducibility, and solubility need to
be determined in advance by using special metallurgical characterization procedures.
Process Development and Product Quality
To cope with the continuously stricter environmental legislation next to a shortage
of critical metals in Europe, especially the process development for a treatment
315
Characterization
Depending on the feed material used and the treatment technology applied, various
residues with different properties emerge that can be discriminated by their origin or
properties. Some of the above-described residues have already been investigated to
a certain extent with respect to characterization and a first evaluation.
Detailed geochemical and mineralogical characterization of metallurgical
residues is of highest importance in order to develop appropriate mineral processing
recipes and further on appropriate metallurgical methods to recover all metals of
interest. Hence, the following questions need to be answered:
(1) Which particles contain the metals to be recovered?
(2) What is their particle size, shape, and texture, i.e. zoned grains, coated grains?
(3) How intensive/complex are incorporated phases intergrown in different particle
fractions?
(4) What is the concentration level of metals in the major particles?
(5) Presence and concentration of deleterious elements (such as As, Cd, Hg)?
In order to separate minerals or metallurgical phases by means of mineral processing
techniques with physical, physical–chemical, and/or chemical methods, it is necessary to know the relevant phases regarding the key aspects mentioned above. In
the end, the size, shape, structure, and the chemical and mineralogical composition
define a particle [6].
Deriving from these parameters, the density, optical, electrochemical, thermal,
chemical, and mechanical characteristics of any particle can be determined. As the
way of managing a metallurgical process and its actual parameters highly affect the
residues not only in composition but also in structure, the variance of the residues’
properties with regard to mineral processing characteristics is large, even for an
existing plant in operation. In analogy to primary mineral deposits, processing results
may vary widely if these changes are not taken into account. Thus, the residue has
to be investigated and characterized properly.
Based on that, the main goal is to generate a basis for assessing possible metal or
metal compound recycling methods. Additionally, the different metallurgical possibilities for a treatment—hydro- or pyrometallurgical—need to be determined. These
results are mandatory for evaluating possible process steps that are required to generate products from the residues. To generate this information, the main properties
such as melting behavior, volatilization behavior, reducibility, and solubility need to
be determined in advance by using special metallurgical characterization procedures.
Process Development and Product Quality
To cope with the continuously stricter environmental legislation next to a shortage
of critical metals in Europe, especially the process development for a treatment