Isasmelt process costs

Lead smelter capital costs - Isasmelt process (cost basis - June 2005). 

Table 17.7 gives the capital cost estimate for the production of 100 000 t/a of lead in bullion by the Isasmelt process. 

Table 17.9 gives a comparison of estimated capital and operating cost for the standard sinter plant-blast furnace technology with the Kivcet and Isasmelt processes as two examples of direct smelting technologies. 

The two direct smelting technologies show similar overall direct operating costs, although the Isasmelt process may have lower capital cost. However, lead losses in slag are higher and recovery correspondingly lower for the Isasmelt process, which will raise raw material costs. This is covered in more detail below in the section on overall economics for refined lead production. 

The Isasmelt (or Sirosmelt) technology is commercially well proven, comparatively low cost in operation and environmentally-ftiendly. It also has the backing of one of the lai er lead producers, which has been a positive factor during the development phase. However, the process is relatively untested in the lead industry beyond the specific feed and operating conditions at Mount Isa, and so its versatility might be questioned. In addition, by-product recovery is comparatively poor, and it is not clear that it has any major advantages over the QSL technology, for instance. 

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