Metal World Lead Industry in India, Jan 2010

As a heavy, malleable, bluish grey metal, lead is one of the most resistant to common corrosion
problems. This is a bright luster, dense, ductile, very soft and highly malleable bluish-white
metalwhich can be toughened by adding a small amount of antimony or other metals to it. It is a
naturally occurring element and is usually associated with other minerals, notably zinc, silver
and copper. Trace amounts of other elements, including gold, are sometimes found with lead ore.
The ore is mined, concentrated and then smelted in a blast furnace with limestone and coke. It is
refined to remove and recover other metals. Usage continues to increase and has risen from 4
million tons per year. Of this, nearly 2 million tons per year is produced in Asia. Secondary
production or recycling is now widely practised and currently accounts for some about 50
percent of usage worldwide. Lead has some important properties, in particular malleability (i.e. it
can be hammered into shape),ease of production, ease of melting and joining, and good corrosion
resistance. As a result, it has been used for purposes such as roofing, windows, piping,
kitchen/tableware and ornamental uses for many centuries. The electrochemical properties of
lead enable it to be used in storage batteries in all motor vehicles, and for some back-up power
Most valuable commodity supplies.
Lead is one of man's most valuable Certain compounds of lead, commodities in present scenario.
particularly brightly coloured lead Occurring naturally in the oxides, leaded glasses and leaded
environment, the metal is mined and glazes on ceramics, have been used processed in some 60
countries. Thefor millennia. The main producers of in the manufacture of the lead-acid recycled
annually in which largelead mineral are: China, Australia, storage battery, a vital part of every
amount of scrap comes from the wasteUSA, Peru, Canada and Mexico. These automobile and
also in the batteries. Lead is a material which is six countries produce three quarters
communications industry. Lead is still very easy to recycle also can be re of world output. The
largest exporters used extensively as protective melted any number of times, and of lead metal
which mine large sheathing for underground and provided enough processes to remove quantities
of lead ore are China, underwater cables, including impurities are performed, the final A u s t r a l
i a and C a n a d a . A l l transoceanic cable systems. product (termed secondary lead) is
industrialized nations use lead. The Certain lead compounds are used as indistinguishable from
primary lead USA is by far the greatest consumer, paint pigments. Red lead (lead oxide)
produced from ore. most of it being used for batteries. is the basic paint primer for iron and
Significance of lead uses Other major consumers are China, UK, steel. Most of the world's lead
is mined Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, in the China, Australia, USA, Peru. Lead addi t
ions improve the France and Italy. Spain, Mexico and They are the leaders in mine appearance
and cutting properties of Brazil use less, In India about 75% production since 2004 year. But
China crystal glass. Small additions are also percent of total demand is from the is major
producer in refined zinc made to optical and electrical glass. Domestic battery industries.
Demand followed by USA but Germany, Japan, The major application of leaded glass is growing
at the rate of 6-7 percent UK are also emerging in production is in television screens and
computer per annum and will continue to grow in sector. The supply of lead comes from
monitors to protect viewers from the the near future. Annual demand for mainly from the mine
production but harmful X-rays generated by these lead is nearly 1.60 lakh tons. Domestic
recycling of scrap account a large appliances. Lead-containing glazes demand is fed up by mine
production share in the metal production. are used for some pottery, tiles andand recycling. But
in India the The lead scrap, 90 percent comes tableware. Recycling sector is not performing from
the battery industry, is recycled. Lead compounds were universallywell in comparison to other

developed So in the lead metal production each added to petrol to improve itscountries so the
share of recycled contributes about 50 percent of efficiency at low cost. This has beenmetals in
domestic supply is no supply. As lead is mined as co- the major source of lead emissions
tosignificant. Mostly lead is mined as product with zinc, its supply can the environment. It is
now beingco-product of zinc so the prices and affected by a factor related to the zinc phased out
almost universallysupply demand is highly affected by metals. because of concerns about
healththe zinc market. Indias lead impacts.A sudden growth in the automobileproduction rate is
not stagnant as its sector plus the boom in the Lead productionkeep change year by year. The
mineinformation technology and telecom The lead supply in world is based onproduction is
increasing from 2000 tosector have resulted in increased mine production and recycling.2005 but
refined production is notdemand for batteries, which mainly Recycling accounts large share in
themoving accordingly the same. It wasuse lead. The transportation sector lead supply. Around
50 percent offluctuating year by year. Last fewused lead matter and account large production is
supplied by recyclingyears, 2000 to 2003, were deficit toshare in lead consumption beside this,
industry in which battery industrylead supply on that time domestic isTV g l a s s , c omp u t e r
g l a s s , makes lion share, followed by
fed up import but in the year 2004construction (including radiation pigments and sheet . In
theIndian mine production increased asshields), and protective coatings communications ndustry,
lead is usedresulted to high quantity export.extensively as protective sheathingfor underground
and underwatercables, including transoceanic cablesystems. Red lead (lead oxide) is thebasic
paint primer for iron and steel.Lead is found all over the world but thelargest mining countries
are Australia,China and the United States, whichbetween them account for more than50 percent
of primary production.Uses sectors are also consumers of lead. Lead ore, which is also known as
The largest single use of lead today is Approximately 3 million tons of lead is galena is mined
with zinc ore. For leadmining, mainly ore bodies at or nearthe surface are mined by open-pit
methods. When an ore body occurs atsome depth below the surface, it mustbe mined by
nderground methods.
In India, lead mines are found atZawar, Rajpura-Dariba and Rampura-Agucha which are highly
mechanised.The first two are underground mines.Rampura-Agucha is an opencast mine.There
are small lead mines atSargipalli and Agnigundala. In Indiathe mine zinc and lead
werecommissioned in May 1991 togetherwith a smelter at Chandeliya which metal output in
Australia, the United of lead comes from recycled lead, it isproved to be a significant step in
Kingdom and the United States mainly worth noting that in times of low leadreducing
dependence on imports in due to plant closures in 2003, will be prices, the collection of scrap can
the case of both the metals. China is a balanced by increases in China and become unprofitable
and this has amajor world producer and important Kazakhstan. As a result global output marked
impact on lead supply.supplier of refined lead, ranking first at 6.81 million tons will be similar to
Likewise, when lead prices are high,in mine production followed by United that in 2003. In
2005, a rise of 4.1 there is a bigger incentive to find leadStates, Canada, Germany, the United
percent to 6.99 million tons is scrap and to supply it to the market.Kingdom and Japan. In China,
lead is principally due to the commissioning This makes lead more responsive toproduced
mainly as a co-product of of new capacity in China together with changes in price, than some of
otherzinc. Recycling of lead, mainly from rises in Australia, Canada, India and metals that are
more dependent onscrapped car batteries, is an important the United Kingdom. primary product
ion and havesource of refined lead in China, India's production is highly effected relatively small
secondary supply.representing nearly 50 percent of the by zinc because domestically lead

Demand for lead-acid batteries fortotal refined production. World lead mining is done as coproduct of zinc automotive, industrial and consumerproduction from mines is less from the and if
any case the zinc supply is purposes account for 70 percent of themetal production because metal
increased or decreased then it will world's demand for lead. Lead'sproduction includes refined
lead with same reflect to lead. The domestic corrosion-resistant nature also lendsrecycled lead
which is around 50 production has been increasing from itself for applications in sheeting
forpercent share. Around 3 million tons 2000 to 2003 but the year 2004 the roofing purposes,
while its radiationof lead is produced from secondary production of refined lead is declined.
attenuation properties prevent thesources each year, by recycling scrap But the growth rate in
mine production emission of harmful radiation fromlead products such as sheet, pipe and still in
positive side. Refined television, video and computerbatteries. In fact in the western world
production is declined due to many monitors. Certain dispersive ortoday more lead is produced
by reasons. The main reason is our readily bio-available uses, such asrecycling than by mining.
At least domestic recycling industry is under lead in gasoline, in piping for drinkingthreequarters of all lead used goes ban from the Indian recovery unit. water systems, and in household
into products, which are suitable for paints, have been or are being phasedrecycling. This is why
lead has the Secondary production out in USA, China, Australia, Canadahighest recycling rate of
all the Globally, secondary lead production and in certain other countries due tocommon nonferrous metals. growth is rising particularly in health concerns.Primary production countries such
as Australia, European T h e l e a d a c i d b a t t e r y i sThe mine production, which is very
Union, the US and Japan. Our country overwhelmingly. The principal use ofless from metal
production, fluctuates lacks technology and policy to lead, with almost three quarters ofyear by
year but the recycling promote production of secondary lead world lead production applied
toindustry received unambiguous in a big way which cause high battery manufacture, however,
thequantity of scrap regularly every year fluctuation in the domestic supply and use of the
batteries is changing,that's why it is changing rarely. In imbalance in export and import which
however. While the lead battery has2004, anticipated falls in refined lead is changed every year.
As roughly half the market for SLI (starter, lights andignition), there is increasing demandfor
stationary and electric vehiclebatteries. The lead battery ismaintaining its dominant
positionamong the competing batterytechnologies through improvingefficiency, reliability and
cost.ConsumptionWhile lead is constantly meeting this market challenge, it is also proving its
sustainable development credentials.Few materials are so efficiently utilised. Lead is used by
allindustrialised nations. The USA is by far the biggest consumer, with some prices since 2001
has been more to do in China demand of lead is boosted to countries in Asia (China, Japan, with
supply shortages than buoyant very high limit because consumptionKorea) and Europe (UK,
Germany, demand. In India similar to other of that metal has more than doubledFrance and Italy)
also using large country a sudden growth in the since 2000. However growth in China amounts.
Most of the lead is used for automobile sector plus the boom in the is partly at the expense of that
in other batteries, an application which has information technology and telecom regions.
Secondary big consumer grown enormously in importance in sector has resulted in increased
USA's demand no change from 2004 to both developed and developing demand for batteries,
which mainly 2005 year but the Europe demand wascountry. The use of lead pipe has use lead,
said L. Pugazhenthy, increased in 1.5 percent in 2004 and declined, as it is no longer used for
Executive Director, India Lead Zinc no changed in 2005. potable water supplies, though lead
Development Association. On an Import and Export sheet is used in roofing and other average, at
least 10 kg of lead is used applications, particularly in the UK. in automotive batteries.

Automotive In India export and import quantity The use of lead in chemicals remains batteries
industry has become a high fluctuate every year due to changing at about 10 percent of European
growth one in the domestic business. custom duties and government policy.consumption; much
of this is used in Lead consumption in the country is If domestic recycling industry can beglass
for TV screens and stabilisers in estimated to be around 1.5 lakh tons, active like other country
then, notPVC. which should be between 2.25-2.5 much of lead is being imported asGlobal
refined lead metal production lakh tons if one takes into account secondary lead is able to cope
up withrose 9.7 percent in the first 10 months circulation of re-cycled lead. the demand apart
from primary lead.The period of year 2000 to 2003 wasof 2005 year to 6.2 million tons, while
Globally and in the country, 75 percentdeficit to lead supply but it is improvedlead consumption
increased 6.2 of the lead consumption is by thein 2004 when a large quantity ofpercent to 6.3
million tons compared battery sector. Other applications forexport is exported to the worldwith
the same period in 2004, lead are alloys, pigments, cablemarket. The reasons of regularaccording
to the latest statistics from sheathing etc. In India, the lead acidfluctuations in production may be
duethe International Lead and Zinc Study battery segment is witnessing a 15to the irregular
supply of lead scrapGroup (ILZSG). Lead demand has been percent a year growth due to
demandand government policy which affects itfairly steady over the past few years f o r a u t o m
o t i v e b a t t e r i e s ,to a great extent. In the domesticwith demand rising to 7 million tons in
uninterrupted power supply systemsupply, large quantity produced2004 from around 6.6 million
tons in and power inverters. Thrust onthrough mining only because of ban on2001. However, the
rise in overall infrastructure sectors such as telecomrecycling unit from Indian recoverydemand
masks changes in regional and power have given an additionalunit. The other reason can
bedemand. Battery manufacturing has boost to the lead acid batteries sector.reduction in the
custom duty whichbeen closing in the west and new Besides India, lead is witnessing
aproduction is being set up in Asia and quantum jump in demand frome s p e c i a l l y C h i n a .
We s t e r n countries such as China and those inconsumption has fallen from around South-East
Asia. All over Global5.6 million tons in 2001 to around 5.3 demand to increase by 2.8 percent in
million tons in 2004. The rise in lead 2004 and 2.2 percent in 2005 and onlyhighly reduced in
year of 2005-2006.
Lead processing
Primary lead processing
The US is the third largest producer ofprimary lead, with most coming fromMissouri.
Concentrated lead ore is fedinto a sintering machine with iron,silica, limestone fluxes, coke, soda
ash, pyrite, zinc, caustics or pollutioncontrol particulates. The mixture isblasted with hot air to
burn off thesulfur and sent to the smelter. Lead isusually smelted in a blast furnaceusing the
carbon from the sinteringmachine to provide the heat source.As melting occurs, several
layersform in the furnace. The molten leadlayer sinks to the bottom of thefurnace. A layer of the
lightestelements, including arsenic and or directly cast. Conclusionantimony, floats to the top and
is Secondary lead processing The lead industry in India isreferred to as the "speiss." A "matte"
Most of the lead comes from characterised by the presence of onlylayer also forms from the
copper and secondary sources. Lead scrapmetal sulfides. Finally, a layer of blast includes lead
acetate batteries, cablefurnace slag, which contains mostly coverings, pipes, sheets and lead
silicates, also forms. The speiss and coated, or tern bearing, metals. Solderthe matte are usually
sold to copper product waste and dross may also besmelters where they are refined for recovered
for its small lead content.copper processing. The slag is stored Most secondary lead is used inand

partially recycled, if the metal batteries. To recover lead from a a few players in the primary
segment.
content is sufficient. The lead from the battery, the battery is broken and the The primary lead
industry in India isblast furnace, called lead bullion, and components are classified. The lead
divided between Hindustan Zinc andthen undergoes the drossing process. containing components
are processed Binani Industries Ltd. India's leadThe bullion is agitated in kettles then in blast
furnaces for hard lead or rotary market was estimated by 1.5 lakh tonscooled to 700-800 degrees.
This reverberatory furnaces for fine by 2004 which surged to 3.5 lakh tonsprocess results in
molten lead and particles. The blast furnace is similar in by 2007 due to enormous growth
indross. Dross refers to the lead oxides, structure to a cupola furnace used in industrial
consumption mainly fromcopper, antimony and other elements iron foundries. The furnace is
charged battery sector. By 2007, importedthat float to the top of the lead. Dross with slag, scrap
iron, limestone, coke, primary lead accounted for 40-50is usually skimmed off and sent to a
oxides, dross, and reverberatory slag. percent of demand, domestic leaddross furnace to recover
the non-lead The coke is used to melt and reduce the firms contribute 15-20 percent
andcomponents which are sold to other lead. Limestone reacts with impurities the rest comes
from recycled sources.metal manufactures. Finally, the and floats to the top. This process also
But, due to exponential growthm o l t e n l e a d i s r e f i n e d . keeps the lead from oxidizing.
The programme by the market leader HZL,Pyrometallurgical methods are molten lead flows
from the blast India is set to make a dent into exportusually used to remove the remaining
furnace into holding pots. Lead may be market.non-lead components of the mixture. mixed with
alloys, including antimony,The non-lead metals are usually sold tin, arsenic, copper and nickel. It
is thento other metal processing plants. The cast into ingots.refined lead may be made into alloys