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ABSTRACT
Resistant to atmosheric corrosion and easy to handle, lead is a soft metal having two oxidation states in which hardness occurs with the content of the impurities (As, Sb, Cu). Nowadays, accumulators constitute the principal use of lead. As a result of environmental constraints, other industries have progressively halted their consumption. Lead metallurgical operations are based primarily on grid agglomerated concentrated minerals, followed by the fusion of agglomerates.Take note that lead metallurgy is increasingly less dependent on natural resources, since recycling is highly prevalent, this is valid for all countries. However, the protection of the environment continues to be a major concern for all processes, taking into account risks arising not only from lead but also from arsenic, cadmium, sulphur dioxide, etc...
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Pierre BLAZY: Honorary Professor - Former Director, École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie (ENSG)
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El-Aïd JDID: Doctor of Science - Research Engineer, Laboratoire Environnement et Minéralurgie (LEM), UMR 7569, Nancy University (ENSG-INPL), CNRS
INTRODUCTION
Lead metallurgy is becoming less and less dependent on natural resources, as recycling takes off in all countries.
This section describes the main natural resources and classic metallurgical operations based on the agglomerative roasting of mineral concentrates, followed by the smelting of the agglomerates to obtain a raw lead known as "working lead". Refining produces purified lead or "soft lead" and by-products (copper, silver, antimony, bismuth, etc.).
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Environmental protection is a major concern for all processes, given the risks posed not only by lead, but also by arsenic, cadmium, sulphur dioxide, etc.
In the "Further information" section, in addition to bibliographical references, the various aspects of the economics of lead are discussed, with data on prices, production, consumption and manufacturing costs.
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Metal manufacturing processes and recycling
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Lead metallurgy
Lead properties
Bibliography
Websites
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Battery Council International
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CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) – Australia
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Statistical and economic data
World lead reserves and primary resources
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), lead reserves were in the region of 78.5 Mt in 2009 (table 1 ), and identified world resources are estimated at over 1.5 billion tonnes.
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