PROF.DR AHMET HAXHIAJ

University of Prishtina

Title: CONSTITUENTS AND POROSITY OF LEAD CONCENTRATE PELLETS PRODUCED IN THE TREPCE PLANT

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Biography

Professor Ahmet Haxhiaj was entitled PhD by University of Prishtina, Faculty of Mining and Metalurgy, with topic "Intensify and Optimize the Reductive Process of Melting the Lead Agglomerate in Port-Piri Furnace" in 2003.  In 1989 he finished post-graduate studies at University of Zagreb, Faculty of Metallurgy, Sisak. He studied Metallurgy Science and presented a master thesis in "Materials and Heat Balance in Port-Piri Furnace". In 1978 graduated in the topic "Indium Composition in Products and Inter--products of Lead and Zinc, and Seperation Process of Extracting Indium in Trepça. He currently lectures in the Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Faculty of Geoscience, University of Mitrovica and Faculty of Applied Arts at University of Peja. He published more than 42 papers and is a member of the Alb-shkenca board. Since 2016 is the Editing Chief on IJMPEM "International Journal Minerals Processing Extractive Metallurgy. In 1983-1993 he worked in the Zastava laboratory in Peja në thermal processing and was the manager of four projects in this field. In 1978-1983 he worked in the Lead Metallurgy in Zveqan, Trepça.

Abstract

Both composition and porosity of pellets are the main parameters influencing the reductive melting process in water-jacket furnace during the roasting of sulfide lead concentrate. Roasting in a smelter located in Trepçë is done at about 9000 C, for pellets which are composed of PbS, CaCO3, Fe2O3, and SiO2. In order to faciltiate the formation of slag in the reductive melting, the pellets must have the proper content of CaO, SiO2, and FeO, and porosity. The plant’s practice indicates that pellets with porosity of 18% do not melt adequately in the water-jacket furnace. The optimum porosity for the proper melting of pellets needs to be 32-40% and can be achieved when pellets are loaded with more than 10 wt.% CaO. Pellets with less than 10% CaO have a limited network of pores, such that reactive gases cannot reach the entire ore structure. Also, the composition of the pellets must satisfy the ratio of CaO : SiO2 : FeO = 1 : 1.2 : 1.8 to facilitate the formation of slag in the reductive melting process.

Key word, charge, pelletization, agglomeration, melting, technical Pb, slag