Linde’s Image Analysis System to Tune Burners for Lead Recovery from Automotive Batteries in Rotary Furnaces

The processProcess of recovering LeadLead (Pb) from automotiveAutomotive batteriesBatteries using rotary furnaces is widely known worldwide. While scraps and other feedstocks are becoming increasingly expensive, new technologiesTechnology must be developed to keep the processProcess costs as low as possible. A typical rotary furnace has a fuel consumption of about 500–1000 kWh per tonne of Pb bullion. Thinking out to overcome those costs, improve the process controlProcess control, and become more efficient, Linde deployed their Image Analysis System—OPTIVIEW™, into a Rotary Furnace processProcess, aiming to take advantage of alternative fuels and all CO excess coming from the scrap load. The system reached a specific fuel consumption of 300 kWh per tonne Pb, reducing the oxygen consumption, increasing the throughput, and controlling the emissions for a LeadLead recoveryRecovery plant from automotiveAutomotive batteriesBatteries.