Thermodynamic modeling of lead blast furnace
(Mount Isa Mines Limited, Queesland 4825, Australia)
Abstract: A thermodynamic model was developed to predict the distribution behavior of Cu, Fe, S, O, Pb, Zn, As, and the heat balance in a lead blast furnace. The modeling results are validated by the plant data of a lead smelter in Kazakhstan. The model can be used to predict any set of controllable process parameters such as feed composition, smelting temperature, degree of oxygen enrichment and volume of oxygen-enriched air. The effects of the blast air, industrial oxygen, and coke charge on the distribution of Cu, Fe, S, O, Pb, Zn, As, the heat balance, and the lead loss in slag, were presented and discussed.
Key words: thermodynamic model; lead blast furnace; lead smelting