Processing of Polymetallic Materials
Requires Flexible and Capable
Downstream Refining Technology:
Aurubis Lead Refinery as Economic,
Modern, and Well Integrated Plant
at the Site Hamburg
Christoph Zschiesche and Ino Bauer
Abstract Synergies between copper and lead metallurgy are essential to ensure
efficient processing of polymetallic complex materials. The required process efficiencies along with environmental demands have been common elements behind
technological transformations in the non-ferrous industry. In case of Aurubis, firstly
modernization of its copper plant in 1972 followed by the lead plant in 1992, are clear
examples of drastic transformations implemented to achieve. Continuing with these
goals, Aurubis commissioned a new lead refinery in 2014 in order to achieve a more
efficient refining process that could deal with the increasing complexity of materials
and improve emission control. This was achieved by the implementation of a smart
ventilation system instead of common ridge turret systems. This paper describes
Aurubis’s lead refinery operation adaptation to meet the challenges imposed by the
increasing complexity of raw materials and the environmental aspects required to
operate a sustainable urban metallurgical facility.
Keywords Polymetallic · Lead refinery · Operations · Crude lead
Introduction
Aurubis has a long tradition in the processing of non-ferrous metals. Since its establishment in 1866 as Norddeutsche Affinerie in the field of precious metals’ refining,
the company gradually evolved, as well as the primary copper processing business
also the refining of lead has also a long standing tradition in Aurubis. In 1912, the
first lead refinery with a reverberatory furnace was operated at the Peute (Hamburg,
Veddel). The well-described Harris process was introduced in 1925 which means
C. Zschiesche (B)
Aurubis AG (Research & Development), Hamburg, Germany
e-mail: c.zschiesche@aurubis.com
I. Bauer
Aurubis AG (Operations Hamburg), Hamburg, Germany
© 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_64
739
Requires Flexible and Capable
Downstream Refining Technology:
Aurubis Lead Refinery as Economic,
Modern, and Well Integrated Plant
at the Site Hamburg
Christoph Zschiesche and Ino Bauer
Abstract Synergies between copper and lead metallurgy are essential to ensure
efficient processing of polymetallic complex materials. The required process efficiencies along with environmental demands have been common elements behind
technological transformations in the non-ferrous industry. In case of Aurubis, firstly
modernization of its copper plant in 1972 followed by the lead plant in 1992, are clear
examples of drastic transformations implemented to achieve. Continuing with these
goals, Aurubis commissioned a new lead refinery in 2014 in order to achieve a more
efficient refining process that could deal with the increasing complexity of materials
and improve emission control. This was achieved by the implementation of a smart
ventilation system instead of common ridge turret systems. This paper describes
Aurubis’s lead refinery operation adaptation to meet the challenges imposed by the
increasing complexity of raw materials and the environmental aspects required to
operate a sustainable urban metallurgical facility.
Keywords Polymetallic · Lead refinery · Operations · Crude lead
Introduction
Aurubis has a long tradition in the processing of non-ferrous metals. Since its establishment in 1866 as Norddeutsche Affinerie in the field of precious metals’ refining,
the company gradually evolved, as well as the primary copper processing business
also the refining of lead has also a long standing tradition in Aurubis. In 1912, the
first lead refinery with a reverberatory furnace was operated at the Peute (Hamburg,
Veddel). The well-described Harris process was introduced in 1925 which means
C. Zschiesche (B)
Aurubis AG (Research & Development), Hamburg, Germany
e-mail: c.zschiesche@aurubis.com
I. Bauer
Aurubis AG (Operations Hamburg), Hamburg, Germany
© 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_64
739