Flash Smelting Of Lead Concentrates ? Introduction

Outokumpu flash smelting of copper concentrates was introduced in 1949 and flash smelting of nickel concentrates in 1959, both at Harjavalta in southwest Finland. The first flash smelter outside Finland was started up in 1956 in Ashio, Japan. Between 1956 and the present about 25 flash smelters for copper, and nickel concentrates have been put into operation in different parts of the world. Outokumpu"s research organization has been highly involved in the development of flash smelting. For example, a direct blister flash smelting process was developed in 1975 and introduced in Glogów, Poland, in 1978, and another has been designed for Zaire. This straight metal process is based on low iron content of the concentrate, which reduces the amount of recycling slag copper. Additionally, the concentrates are rather low in impurities.