Oxygen-enriched Side Blowing Smelting Technology was introduced to lead metallurgy to reduce high lead-containing slag as a replacement of blast furnace, which turned to be a very fruitful trial. 

The side blowing furnace can be used for direct smelting of lead oxide/sulfide concentrate and lead-zinc sulfide ore as well as lead-bearing secondary material as lead paste from lead acid battery etc.. 

The process Lead oxidation, reduction and slag fuming, all can be performed by side blowing furnaces. Off-gas from oxidation stage is directed to acid-making process and that from reduction stage and fuming furnace are desulfurized by absorption method. Dust collected from side blowing furnaces returns to feeding system for furnace burden preparing. The side blowing process, through the nozzles on the furnace side, injects oxygen-enriched air to drive the metal liquid, matte and molten slag in the bath for reaction and heat exchange. 

Benefiting from its smelting feature, the oxidation and reduction stage can also be arranged as two separate areas in one side blowing furnace to achieve continuous production. By regulating the reduction atmosphere, the reduction area can also treat high zinc low lead slag to produce zinc oxide dust and fuming slag (Pb≤1%，Zn≤2%).

Characteristics  

1.  Up-to-date forged copper jacket guarantees high safety for furnace operation and long campaign life; 

2.  Flexible switch autothermal or semi-autothermal  mode to match with feed material enthalpy value, flexible production loading;

3.  Oxygen content ≥70% used for smelting to intensify bath smelting reaction for large productivity and high efficiency;

4.  Continuous oxidation process, highly automated operation, stable SO₂ content  (12-18%) in off-gas in favor of acid-making;

5.   Fully-insulated process without ladle transfer, minimized fugitive emission and environment pollution.

6.   Feed with lead grade as low as 30% and moisture up to 8% can be directly smelt in the furnace.