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Which minerals are the main sources of lead production?
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lead processing
A zinc-lead blast furnace and lead-splash condenser. This technology is utilized mainly for producing zinc while managing both lead and zinc from raw materials, a technique that was highly influential in 20th-century smelting.
The primary source of lead production is the lead sulfide mineral galena (PbS), which accounts for the vast majority of mined lead. While there are over 60 known lead-containing minerals, more than 95 percent of mined lead is derived from galena and two secondary minerals that form through the natural weathering of galena deposits:12
- Cerussite: A lead carbonate formed by the action of carbonate groundwater on galena.13
- Anglesite: A lead sulfate formed when galena is subjected to sulfate solutions resulting from the oxidation of sulfide minerals.13
Because galena is typically found mixed with other minerals, such as zinc blende, nearly 90 percent of primary lead ores are recovered as a by-product of zinc and silver mining. Additionally, it is important to note that a significant portion of the global lead refinery supply is met through the recycling of spent materials, particularly reclaimed batteries.12