Zinc smelting with coal as the principal heat source and reducing agent

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Metallurgical Transactions, B (Process Metallurgy); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02673174· OSTI ID:6271340

Swisher, J H; Vohra, D ^[1]

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1. Southern Illinois Univ. of Carbondale, IL (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes

Recent progress in fluidized bed coal combustion and gasification suggests possibilities for the substitution of coal for coke in metallurgical smelting processes. One such possibility was explored in a laboratory study of zinc smelting with coal. A two-stage reactor was constructed, which gasified coal in the lower stage to produce a reducing gas mixture. In the upper stage, the reducing gas was passed through a fixed bed containing a mixture of ZnO and either coal or coke. The extent of reduction of the ZnO was measured as a function of reaction time, temperature, and gas composition. Temperature was found to be the most important variable. At temperatures of 1,000 C or higher in the fixed bed, more than 97 pct of the ZnO was reduced in a few hours. No difference was found between the uses of coal and coke in the fixed bed. An important remaining step in proving process feasibility is condensation of metallic Zn from the product gas.

• OSTI ID: 6271340
• Journal Information: Metallurgical Transactions, B (Process Metallurgy); (United States), Vol. 24B:4; ISSN 0360-2141
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
ZINC ORES
SMELTING
COAL GAS
COAL GASIFICATION
COKE
EXHAUST GASES
REDUCING AGENTS
STAGED COMBUSTION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VAPOR CONDENSATION
ZINC OXIDES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
GASIFICATION
MATERIALS
ORES
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTES
ZINC COMPOUNDS
010500* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Products & By-Products
010404 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification
014000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Combustion