Lead Smelting and Refining, With Some Notes on Lead Mining
Science
Lead Smelting and Refining, With Some Notes on Lead Mining
Lead -- Metallurgy; Lead mines and mining
The following notes were taken from work done at the Cherokee
Lanyon Smelter Company, Gas, Kansas, in 1903. It was practically an
experiment. The furnace was only 36 × 90 in. at the crucible, with a
10 in. side bosh and a 6 in. end bosh. There were five tuyeres on each
side with a 3 in. opening. The side jackets measured 4.5 ft. × 18 in.
The distance from top of crucible to center of tuyeres was 11.5 in.
The blast was furnished by one No. 4½ Connellsville blower. The
furnace originally was only 11 ft. from the center of tuyeres to the
feed-floor, and had only been saving about 60 per cent. of the lead.
This loss of lead, however, was not entirely due to the low furnace.
As no provision had been made to separate the slag and matte, upon
assuming charge I raised the feed-floor 3 ft., thereby changing the
distance from the tuyere to top of furnace from 11 ft. to 14 ft. Matte
settlers were also installed. These two changes raised the percentage
of lead saved to 92, as shown by monthly statements. The furnace being
small, and a high percentage of zinc oxide on the charge, the campaigns
were naturally short. The longest run was about six weeks. This was
made on some residue that had been screened from the coarse coal, and
coke, and had weathered for several months. This particular residue
also carried about 10 per cent. lead. The more recent residue that had
not been screened and weathered, and was low in lead, did not work so
well. Although these residues consisted of a large proportion of coal
and coke, it seemed impossible to reduce the percentage of good lump
coke on the charge lower than 12.5 or 13 per cent. At the same time the
reducing power of the residue was strong, and with the normal amount of
coke caused some trouble in the crucible.
When residue containing semi-anthracite coal was smelted, the saving
in lead dropped, and the fire went to the top of the furnace, burning
with a blue flame, thereby necessitating the reduction of this class of
material. This residue had been screened through a five-mesh screen,
and wet down in layers, becoming so hard that it had to be blasted.
The low saving of lead with this class of material was a surprise,
as it has been claimed that the substitution of part of the fuel by
anthracite coal did not affect the metallurgical operations of the
furnace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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