Pb and Other Impurities Recovery
from Cu Smelting Residues in JX Nippon
Mining & Metals
Nobuaki Okajima, Takuma Takei and Shojiro Usui
Abstract The amount of impurities, such as Pb, Sn, Sb, Bi, had increased in the
copper smelting process of JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group, because of its active
recycling from the urban mine. Accordingly, it became a critical issue to bleed off
such impurities from its Cu smelting circuit and recover them as products. The
company constructed the plant to treat the residues from Cu smelters in the Hitachi
Works in 2008. The plant, named as HMC (Hitachi Metal-Recycling Complex), has
been playing an important role to bleed off and recover 11 kinds of precious metals
and impurity elements, and to stabilize the Cu smelting operation with recycling
activities. This report describes about the role of HMC process, especially on Pb and
Sb recovery.
Keywords Lead · Antimony · Copper smelting · Urban mine · Recycling
Introduction
Business Segments of JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group
The JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group engages in a wide range of operations, which
are centered around copper, and cover upstream (resources development), midstream
(smelting and refining), and downstream (electronic materials, and recycling and
environmental services) activities (Fig. 1).
Figure 2 provides an outline of the copper smelting process. Copper concentrate
is processed in the flash smelting, converter and anode furnaces and is refined in the
tankhouse to produce electrolytic copper. Sulfuric acid is produced from the exhaust
gas of the flash smelting furnace and converter furnace. Pb is distributed into the
converter dust from the converter furnace and is recovered as Pb sulfate.
N. Okajima (B) · T. Takei · S. Usui
HMC Department, Manufacturing Section 1, 1-1-2 Shirogane-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: okajima.nobuaki@jxgr.com
© 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_45
531
from Cu Smelting Residues in JX Nippon
Mining & Metals
Nobuaki Okajima, Takuma Takei and Shojiro Usui
Abstract The amount of impurities, such as Pb, Sn, Sb, Bi, had increased in the
copper smelting process of JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group, because of its active
recycling from the urban mine. Accordingly, it became a critical issue to bleed off
such impurities from its Cu smelting circuit and recover them as products. The
company constructed the plant to treat the residues from Cu smelters in the Hitachi
Works in 2008. The plant, named as HMC (Hitachi Metal-Recycling Complex), has
been playing an important role to bleed off and recover 11 kinds of precious metals
and impurity elements, and to stabilize the Cu smelting operation with recycling
activities. This report describes about the role of HMC process, especially on Pb and
Sb recovery.
Keywords Lead · Antimony · Copper smelting · Urban mine · Recycling
Introduction
Business Segments of JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group
The JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group engages in a wide range of operations, which
are centered around copper, and cover upstream (resources development), midstream
(smelting and refining), and downstream (electronic materials, and recycling and
environmental services) activities (Fig. 1).
Figure 2 provides an outline of the copper smelting process. Copper concentrate
is processed in the flash smelting, converter and anode furnaces and is refined in the
tankhouse to produce electrolytic copper. Sulfuric acid is produced from the exhaust
gas of the flash smelting furnace and converter furnace. Pb is distributed into the
converter dust from the converter furnace and is recovered as Pb sulfate.
N. Okajima (B) · T. Takei · S. Usui
HMC Department, Manufacturing Section 1, 1-1-2 Shirogane-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: okajima.nobuaki@jxgr.com
© 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_45
531