A system for melting lead scrap pieces. The system includes a vessel. A vortexing chamber is disposed in the vessel. The vortexing chamber includes an inlet, an outlet and an open top configured to receive lead pieces. A pump is disposed in the vessel and directs molten lead to the inlet of the vortexing chamber. A dross dam divides the vessel into a first region and a second region. The vortexing chamber is disposed in the second region and a conduit extends between the vortexing chamber outlet and the first region. A transfer pump is disposed in the second region and is configured for removal of molten lead from the vessel. The system allows dross to be skimmed from a surface of the molten lead bath in the first region.

A process for recovering a metal in the form of a metal halide from a metal-containing source is described, the process comprising the steps of: —(i) forming a solid metal halide containing product by contacting the metal-containing source with a gaseous halide in an oxidising environment and at a temperature below the vaporisation temperature of the metal halide of interest; (ii) heating the metal halide containing product formed in step (i) to a temperature at or above the vaporisation temperature of the metal halide to form a gaseous metal halide containing product; and (iii) condensing the gaseous metal halide containing product of step (ii) to recover the metal halide of interest.

The disclosure discloses a method for recycling lead paste in a spent lead-acid battery, comprising: (1) pretreating lead paste in a spent lead-acid battery as a raw material under vacuum; mixing the pretreated lead paste with a chlorination reagent to obtain reactants; and heating the reactants under vacuum to carry out a chlorination volatilization reaction, so that lead element in the pretreated lead paste is combined with chlorine element in the chlorination reagent to form lead chloride, which is then volatilized, and after the reaction is completed, chlorination residue and a crude lead chloride product are obtained by condensation and crystallization after volatilization; (2) purifying the crude lead chloride product obtained in the step (1) under vacuum to obtain a refined lead chloride product. The disclosure improves the overall process flow of the recycling method as well as parameter conditions of the respective steps thereof, and can effectively solve the problem of serious pollution in lead paste recycling in the prior art.

A pyro-metallurgical process for producing at least one non-ferrous metal or a compound thereof, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), and wherein at least one raw material is fed into a rotary kiln, wherein said at least one raw material comprises at least said metal, and wherein said raw material is heated to produce a volatized material, in which the non-ferrous metal or compound thereof is produced from the volatized material, in which process a magnesium-based additive, is additionally fed in the rotary kiln in an amount of between 0.5 wt. % and 9.5 wt. % relative to the total weight of said raw materials, which magnesium-based additive is heated together with said raw material to produce at least the volatized material and a solid product, thereby counteracting ring formation in the rotary kiln.

A separating and melting system and method for a waste lead grid in waste lead acid storage battery recycling is provided. A drying drum is mounted on an upper end of a smelting apparatus, a dust remover is connected to an upper end of the drying drum by a flue gas duct, a lead grid turnover box is connected to the upper end of the drying drum, and a lead-containing liquid agitator passes through the drying drum into the smelting apparatus; a spiral feeder is mounted on the smelting apparatus and located in the drying drum, one end of a lead grid barrier plate is placed on the spiral feeder, and the other end of the lead grid barrier plate is placed on an inner wall of the drying drum; an automatic ash acquiring machine is mounted on the smelting apparatus.

A control scheme for a furnace can use real-time and historical data to model performance and determine relationships between different data and performance parameters for use in correcting suboptimal performance of the furnace in real-time. Operational parameters can be logged throughout the cycle for all cycles for a period of time in order to establish a baseline. This data can then be used to calculate the performance of the process. A regression analysis can be carried out in order to determine which parameters affect different aspects of performance. These relationships can then be used to predict performance during a single cycle in real-time and provide closed or open loop feedback to control furnace operation to result in enhanced performance.

A disclosed dilute copper metal composition has 57-85% wt Cu, ≥3.0% wt Ni, ≤0.8% wt Fe, 7-25% wt Sn and 3-15% wt Pb. A process includes partially b) oxidizing a black copper composition to obtain a first copper refining slag and a first enriched copper metal. The process further includes oxidizing h) the first enriched copper metal to obtain a second copper refining slag, whereby at least 37.0% wt of the amount of tin and lead processed through steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first and second copper refining slags together, partially reducing c) the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag, adding the second copper refining slag to the first lead-tin based metal composition thereby forming a first liquid bath, partially oxidizing d) the first liquid bath, thereby obtaining the dilute copper metal composition.

A control scheme for a furnace can use real-time and historical data to model performance and determine relationships between different data and performance parameters for use in correcting suboptimal performance of the furnace in real-time. Operational parameters can be logged throughout the cycle for all cycles for a period of time in order to establish a baseline. This data can then be used to calculate the performance of the process. A regression analysis can be carried out in order to determine which parameters affect different aspects of performance. These relationships can then be used to predict performance during a single cycle in real-time and provide closed or open loop feedback to control furnace operation to result in enhanced performance.

A process for the production of a crude solder composition includes the provision of a first solder refining slag that includes tin and/or lead. The process further includes the steps of partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby forming a crude solder metal composition and a second solder refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining slag from the crude solder metal composition, and partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent slag followed by separating the second spent slag from the second lead-tin based metal composition

A copper containing fresh feed is added to step (ii), preferably before reducing the second solder refining slag.

A process for the production of a crude solder composition includes the provision of a first solder refining slag that includes tin and/or lead. The process further includes the steps of partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby forming a crude solder metal composition and a second solder refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining slag from the crude solder metal composition, and partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent slag followed by separating the second spent slag from the second lead-tin based metal composition A copper containing fresh feed is added to step (ii), preferably before reducing the second solder refining slag.