Recovery of zinc and lead from the slime obtained from electrolytic zinc plant

Abstract

Keeping in view the projected primary zinc smelting plants in India expected to yield a large amount of slime (a by-product) containing a economically recoverable percentage of zinc and lead, this investigation was taken up for determining the optimum conditions for the economic recovery of metals from the slime. The slime sample obtained from the electrolytic zinc plant in Szopienice, Poland was investigated during one of the authors' stays in Poland under UNESCO Polish Government Fellowship. The experiments were performed in an electric furnace at different temperatures with the varying additions of coke dust and lime. It was concluded that the addition of 14% lime to the slime with 50% coke additions gives the maximum metal recovery. The authors are of the opinion that the experiments, if extended onto a pilot plant scale, using a small rotary furnace, will give more useful results. (Mr. Narinder Singh, Scientist, National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, India, on UNESCO Polish Government Fellowship, Instytut Metali Niezelaznych-Gliwice, Poland and Mgr. Inz. Jan Sosin, Head, Metallurgical Division, Instytut Metali Niezelaznych (Institute of Non-ferrous Metals), Gliwice, Poland)