zinc removal with air

[olafhardt]

I don't currently have a zinc problem; however, evidently some of you guys do. Reviewing my past chemical experience I would try to remove zinc with a whole lot of carbohydrate flux such as saw dust, sugar, grits, oatmeal, etc. Another thing comes to mind is bubbleing compressed air through the molten metal. Of course the air should be bone dry and the flow carefully controlled. I would not use air off a compressor cause it is allmost always wet. Something like bottled dry air with a needle valve and a regulator might do the trick. I would be very leery of using an oxygen tank because one of my chemical plant buddies told me of horrific fires that occured when oxygen lines caught fire. The catch fire and burn right down the pipe, through valves. In an atmosphere of pure compressed oxygen iron burns!

[Magana559]

I dont know but seems rather scary to me, probably will have to heat up the lead pretty good to keep it "thin".

[rmatchell]

We have used air to remove impurities from glass in an old furnace.I know its not exactly the same as lead. So I would say it could work, but with some risks.

[btroj]

In an industrial setting maybe, at home, heck NO!

Sounds like a great way to meet the tinsel fairy or tinsel fairies!

Some things need a level of preparation, precision, and safety equipment that the average home user just can't provide. This is not for me, that is for sure.

[w5pv]

Something I would not try at home,sounds like much coould happen.

[bangerjim]

Can you say "Bessemer converter"? That is the process used in steel plants to remove impurities. Blast O2 into molten metal to burn off the dirty stuff......similar to what we try to do with saw dust. That process early on allowed us to make high strength steel, rather than weak cast iron, for the 1st time.

I sure would be afraid of "bubbling" compressed air thru molten lead. Carbon-based life forms work just fine for me. And does the chemistry of the air infusion attack ONLY the Zn? I am not a chemist, I am an engineer.

banger

[finstr]

Wouldn't O2 oxidize the lead? Seems nitrogen might be a better gas to me.

[olafhardt]

I guess this needs a little more explanation. I am not a chemist but I spent a career as a chemical engineer (degreed). Oxygen will indeed oxidize lead, tin, antimony, arsenic, zinc, calcium etc. Elements oxidize according to their affinities for the oxidizer. Carbon has a higher affinity for oxygen than does iron therefore you can burn the oxides off of iron with coke to smelt iron ore. Then you can burn the ecess carbon out of the iron with air to make steel. In our glorious melts the zinc and calcium have a much higher affinity for oxygen than lead, etc. If you keep bubbling after the zinc etc is burned off you will oxidize the good stuff but you don't have to.Then if you flux with saw dust, sugar, grease, wax etc you will recover the desired metals by snatching the oxygen off with the carbon in the flux. Carbon can't snatch oxygen off zinc , calcium, aluminum and others which I am not going to look up. So you must have an oxidizer which nitrogen is not in this case. Since air is about 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, it is a less powerful oxidizer than straight oxygen. It would take very little air pressure and a low flow rate to do this. The oxidizer does not have to be oxygen, pure or in air. I know of a plant that purifies molten aluminum by bubbling chlorine through it. In our lead alloy melts super heated steam could be used to selectively oxidize the more reactive metals. If it scares you, don't do it. If you want to try it and have questions, ask them.

[GL49]

In an industrial setting maybe, at home, heck NO!

Sounds like a great way to meet the tinsel fairy or tinsel fairies!

Some things need a level of preparation, precision, and safety equipment that the average home user just can't provide. This is not for me, that is for sure.

Since I am not sure the tinsel fairy doesn't have a big brother called the "tinsel ogre", I too, will stand back and watch.:popcorn:

[Dan Cash]

This has possibilities for the smelting process.