Recovery of lead metal by an electrohydrometallurgical process

• Grant number: 01/03444-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: November 01, 2001
• End date: May 31, 2002
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Transformation Metallurgy
• Principal Investigator: Abel Edmundo Chacon Sanhueza
• Grantee: Abel Edmundo Chacon Sanhueza
• Company: Global Eletroquímica Indústria e Comércio de Metais Ltda
• City: Bauru

Abstract

In Brazil, lead mines are practically exhausted and the sub-products which contain compounds of this metal (concentrations of lead) generated by the mining industries of other metals have been exported. Consequently, the lead metal required for the manufacture of lead-acid automotive batteries has been supplied by imports and by the recycling of dead batteries in national metallurgy plants. The present project aims to develop and implement the electrohydrometallurgical process as an economical and environmentally appropriate alternative for the recovery of lead metal, initially from a residue rich in lead compounds, and in the future, from other raw materials, such as scrap lead-acid automotive batteries, lead mines (mainly galena) and from residues or effluents which contain lead compounds. By this process, the lead compounds contained in the residue will first be converted in lead sulfate. Following the lixiviation of the lead sulfate, lead metal of high purity (99.99 per cent) and easily commerciable will be electrodeposited on a stainless steel cathode contained in an electrochemical reactor. (AU)