A New Era in Smelting
Sustainability—Intensification
of the Outotec ® Ausmelt Top Submerged
Lance (TSL) Process for Zinc Production
Jacob Wood, David Wilson and Stephen Hughes
Abstract For almost 30 years, the Outotec
® Ausmelt Top Submerged Lance (TSL)
process has been applied for the processing of zinc-bearing leach residues, slags,
EAF dust and sulphide concentrates. Continual development and evolution of the
technology over this period has resulted in a more intense smelting process with
higher energy efficiency, lower operating costs and reduced fossil fuel consumption.
This paper covers a number of recent technology advances, highlighting their positive
impacts on smelter operating costs, CO 2 emissions and metal recoveries for treatment
of a range of zinc-bearing feed inputs. It also compares Ausmelt TSL technology
against alternatives such as the Waelz kiln, box fumer, Chinese side-blowing process
and plasma technology, demonstrating a range of operational and environmental
advantages.
Keywords Zinc · Fuming · Recycling · Sustainability · Outotec
Introduction
By far the dominant process for the production of zinc today is the Roast-LeachElectrowin (RLE) process, which accounts for an estimated 85% of global zinc
production [1]. The RLE process is typically applied for the processing of zinc
sulphide concentrates, but can also be used to treat a fraction of relatively clean oxide
material. Other commercially important processes for the treatment of zinc sulphide
concentrates include direct concentrate leaching and the Imperial Smelting Process
(ISP). In all of these processes, iron is removed as a separate by-product/waste stream,
often characterised by elevated concentrations of not only zinc, but also various minor
and precious metals. Untreated, these materials may be physically unstable as they
often contain significant levels of lead, zinc and cadmium, and are therefore often
J. Wood (B) · D. Wilson · S. Hughes
Outotec Pty Ltd, 12 Kitchen Road, Dandenong South, VIC 3175, Australia
e-mail: jacob.wood@outotec.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_6
63
Sustainability—Intensification
of the Outotec ® Ausmelt Top Submerged
Lance (TSL) Process for Zinc Production
Jacob Wood, David Wilson and Stephen Hughes
Abstract For almost 30 years, the Outotec
® Ausmelt Top Submerged Lance (TSL)
process has been applied for the processing of zinc-bearing leach residues, slags,
EAF dust and sulphide concentrates. Continual development and evolution of the
technology over this period has resulted in a more intense smelting process with
higher energy efficiency, lower operating costs and reduced fossil fuel consumption.
This paper covers a number of recent technology advances, highlighting their positive
impacts on smelter operating costs, CO 2 emissions and metal recoveries for treatment
of a range of zinc-bearing feed inputs. It also compares Ausmelt TSL technology
against alternatives such as the Waelz kiln, box fumer, Chinese side-blowing process
and plasma technology, demonstrating a range of operational and environmental
advantages.
Keywords Zinc · Fuming · Recycling · Sustainability · Outotec
Introduction
By far the dominant process for the production of zinc today is the Roast-LeachElectrowin (RLE) process, which accounts for an estimated 85% of global zinc
production [1]. The RLE process is typically applied for the processing of zinc
sulphide concentrates, but can also be used to treat a fraction of relatively clean oxide
material. Other commercially important processes for the treatment of zinc sulphide
concentrates include direct concentrate leaching and the Imperial Smelting Process
(ISP). In all of these processes, iron is removed as a separate by-product/waste stream,
often characterised by elevated concentrations of not only zinc, but also various minor
and precious metals. Untreated, these materials may be physically unstable as they
often contain significant levels of lead, zinc and cadmium, and are therefore often
J. Wood (B) · D. Wilson · S. Hughes
Outotec Pty Ltd, 12 Kitchen Road, Dandenong South, VIC 3175, Australia
e-mail: jacob.wood@outotec.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_6
63