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zinc-lead blast furnace
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Diagram of a zinc-lead blast furnace system showing ore and coke entering through charge hoppers, with labeled furnace, air preheater, blower, taphole for slag and lead bullion, and a connected lead-splash condenser using rotors to separate and cool lead and zinc, with pathways for molten metals and off-gas.
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zinc-lead blast furnace

metallurgy
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Diagram of a zinc-lead blast furnace system showing ore and coke entering through charge hoppers, with labeled furnace, air preheater, blower, taphole for slag and lead bullion, and a connected lead-splash condenser using rotors to separate and cool lead and zinc, with pathways for molten metals and off-gas.
Metallurgy 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 zinc-lead blast furnace is a metallurgical process used for extracting zinc and lead. Sintered zinc and lead concentrates, along with coke, are fed into a shaft furnace. Preheated air is blown in, producing a zinc-bearing gas and molten liquids. These liquids separate into molten lead (containing copper and silver) and a molten oxide slag. The zinc vapor is then absorbed into molten lead in a condenser, and as the lead cools, molten zinc separates and is collected. This furnace is flexible and can process various mixed ores and residues, sometimes bypassing the need for sintering.1

The process is a significant advancement, overcoming earlier difficulties in condensing zinc vapor. It allows for the efficient handling of mixed zinc and lead feed materials. While electrolysis is another major zinc production method, the blast furnace is a key pyrometallurgical technique.23

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. zinc processing - The zinc-lead blast furnace
  2. zinc processing - Roasting and sintering
  3. zinc processing - Economic and environmental issues
  4. zinc processing - History

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