Lead Smelting and Refining With Notes on Lead Mining
Various Authors
9781465651839
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
Statistics of lead production are of value in two directions: (1) in showing the relative proportion of the kinds of lead produced; and (2) in showing the sources from which produced. Lead is marketed in three principal forms: (a) desilverized; (b) soft; (c) antimonial, or hard. The terms to distinguish between classes “a” and “b” are inexact, because, of course, desilverized lead is soft lead. Desilverized lead itself is classified as “corroding,” which is the highest grade, and ordinary “desilverized.” Soft lead, referring to the Missouri product, may be either “ordinary” or “chemical hard.” The latter is such lead as contains a small percentage of copper and antimony as impurities, which, without making it really hard, increase its resistance against the action of acids, and therefore render it especially suitable for the production of sheet to be used in sulphuric-acid chamber construction and like purposes. The production of chemical hard lead is a fortuitous matter, depending on the presence of the valuable impurities in the virgin ores. If present, these impurities go into the lead, and cannot be completely removed by the simple process of refining which is practised. Nobody knows just what proportions of copper and antimony are required to impart the desired property, and consequently no specifications are made. Some chemical engineers call for a particular brand, but this is really only a whim, since the same brand will not be uniformly the same; practically one brand is as good as another. Corroding lead is the very pure metal, which is suitable for white lead manufacture. It may be made either from desilverized or from the ordinary Missouri product; or the latter, if especially pure, may be classed as corroding without further refining. Antimonial lead is really an alloy of lead with about 15 to 30 per cent. antimony, which is produced as a by-product by the desilverizers of base bullion. The antimony content is variable, it being possible for the smelter to run the percentage up to 60. Formerly it was the general custom to make antimonial lead with a content of 10 to 12 per cent. Sb; later, with 18 to 20 per cent.; while now 25 to 30 per cent. Sb is best suited to the market. The relative values of the various grades of lead fluctuate considerably, according to the market place, and the demand and supply. The schedules of the American Smelting and Refining Company make a regular differential of 10c. per 100 lb. between corroding lead and desilverized lead in all markets. In the St. Louis market, desilverized lead used to command a premium of 5c. to 10c. per 100 lb. over ordinary Missouri; but now they sell on approximately equal terms. Chemical hard lead sells sometimes at a higher price, sometimes at a lower price, than ordinary Missouri lead, according to the demand and supply. There is no regular differential. This is also the case with antimonial lead.
