Secondary smelting

Primary smelting and refining of copper 3334 Primary production of aluminum 3339 Primary smelting and refining of nonferrous metals, except copper and aluminum 3341 Secondary smelting and refining of nonferrous metals... 

The SIC code of the battery plant is 3691 (storage batteries) the SIC code for the smelter is 3341 (secondary smelting and refining of non-ferrous metals). A lead oxide production plant located adjacent to the battery plant, on the same property, also falls under SIC code 3691. 

Secondary smelting and refining and alloying of nonferrous metals 3341 and alloys... 

As previously mentioned, secondary smelting operations include many variations of furnace design, operating conditions, and type of feed. Some of these differences include the following. 

Once bullion lead has been recovered via the various primary and secondary smelting operations, it must undergo a refining process to remove impurities. Bullion... 

Modern industry practice can be extremely effective in limiting lead emissions from recycling facilities. Facility emissions have been a cause of historic concern, with speculation that increased use of lead-acid batteries in electric and/or hybrid electric vehicles might result in unacceptable levels of lead contamination. For example. Lave et al. [23] estimated that emissions to water and air associated with primary lead production, secondary lead production, and battery prodnction were 4, 2, and 1%, respectively, of the total amount of lead processed. In contrast, Socolow and Thomas [24] estimated that secondary smelting and refining were associated with system losses of up to only 0.01% of material processed. 

The unwanted automobile is collected by the scrap dealer, partially disassembled by a recycler (e.g., lead battery, aluminum rims, radiator, variety of parts), and is then reduced in size by a shredder. Steel and nonferrous metals are sent to secondary smelting plants, while nonmetallic components are further processed. The lead battery... 

Approximately 95 percent of all elevated BLLs reported among adults in the United States are work-related. Workers involved in battery manufacturing, secondary smelting and refining of nonferrous metals, and painting and paper hanging are most likely to be exposed to lead on the job. 

A substantial proportion of the lead used at present is recycled lead, produced from lead scrap and residues by secondary smelting. Emission factors for the processes used, and annual US emissions from secondary lead smelting are given in Chapter 2. In the US, about two thirds of the output of the secondary lead industry is produced using blast furnaces or cupolas, although reverberatory and pot furnaces are also used [1]. A typical blast furnace, with pollution control equipment is shown in Fig. 5.2. The furnace is charged from the top, whilst air... 

The crude lead bullion produced by primary and secondary smelting of lead... 

Secondary lead smelting tends to be localised around major population centres and the supply of waste batteries, due to the relatively high cost associated with the transport of used batteries. The secondary smelting technologies used are also suited to relatively small-scale operations in comparison with primary smelters, which can benefit significantly from the economies of scale. 

The number of primary and secondary smelters within a given size range is illustrated in Figure 1.7, which shows the significant difference in numbers and in plant capacities. The scale of these plants also has an impact on the technologies used for secondary smelting in comparison with primary smelting, and the most common approach is the use of the short rotary furnace. 

---