Recovery of Minor and Valuable Metals from Wastes at Zinc-Lead Smelters by R. Raghavan, P K Mohanan

Description

This book is the outcome of research-investigation in converting wastes-to-wealth on certain minor and valuable metals in the wastes/residues generated in Zinc-Lead Smelters on the inspiration from Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member, Niti Aayog in his address on 15 July 2021 on the “Indian Nonferrous Metal Industry”.

Salient Features

• The methods presented in this book can be used for wastes/residues in other non-ferrous metal industries too and not restricted to Zinc and Lead Smelters.

• Focusses on the recovery of important minor and valuable metals present in the solid wastes at Zinc-Lead Smelters through innovative technologies of converting “Wastes to Wealth”.

• Starts with the recovery of lead, silver and manganese from the anode mud generated at the electrolytic cells during the electrowinning of zinc where the liquid effluent containing sulphur dioxide was found to be a potential leachant to recover metal values for the wastes/residues.

• Incorporating a similar scrubbing system using sodium carbonate as a scrubbing agent at the stack which wouldprovide a clean environment (SO2 with permissible from the stack at all times) and generate a useful leachant for the leaching of the wastes generated at the smelter complex to reduce solid waste generation. solid wastes generated at the Zinc-Lead Smelter complex.

• Adopts a novel approach for the recovery of zinc present in the ETP Sludge to produce zinc metal powder with the flow sheet adopted which would provide a reduction in solid waste generation.

• Includes a brief on certain minor metals such as gallium, germanium, indium, and mercury.

• Describes the application of chemical treatment to the zinc dross generated at melting cathodes for the recovery of zinc as well as metallic zinc.

• Provides the basic chemistry, metallurgical aspects and flow sheet developed for each metal.