Specialists from Kazakhstan’s National Center for Integrated Processing of Mineral Raw Materials have developed and successfully tested an advanced technology for processing complex polymetallic ores from the Shalkiya and Zhairem deposits.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction, traditional mineral processing methods remain highly inefficient, with up to 90–95% of processed material ending up as waste while valuable components are lost. The newly developed technology is designed to maximize raw material utilization and significantly reduce tailings volumes.
The key innovation lies in the carbothermic processing of lead-zinc ores with high silicon content using ore-thermal furnaces. Under conventional processing schemes, silica is discarded into tailings storage facilities. The new method instead converts silica into marketable ferroalloys, while lead and zinc transition into the gas phase for subsequent concentration and extraction.
Pilot-industrial testing was conducted using furnaces with capacities ranging from 80 to 630 kVA. The process produced:
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Ferrosilicon grades FS45, FS65 and FS75
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Ferrosilicoaluminum
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Aluminosilicomanganese
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New calcium- and magnesium-containing ferroalloys
Researchers also focused on processing lead-zinc sublimates. As a result, they obtained:
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High-purity zinc (grade TsV0)
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Magnesium compounds
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Tribasic lead sulfate
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Advanced composite electrochemical coatings with high corrosion resistance
The developers describe the project’s main achievement as the creation of an almost waste-free processing scheme. Unlike conventional methods, where silicon is entirely lost in enrichment tailings, the new technology converts it into commercial products. More than 99% of lead and zinc are transferred into concentrated form.
The research team has secured more than 10 patents covering the new solutions for difficult-to-process ores. Technical specifications have also been prepared for designing ferroalloy production facilities and complexes for processing sublimates. Preliminary calculations indicate that product value generated per unit of cost could more than double compared with existing processing technologies.
