Systems And Methods For Direct Oxide Production

A method of producing lead suboxide, comprising:

• producing at a cathode of an electrolytic reactor metallic lead from an aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte, wherein the metallic lead is formed in form of lead flakes, spongy lead, or a nano- and/or microcrystalline lead matrix and wherein the metallic lead contains some of the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte;
• removing at least a portion of the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte from the metallic lead to thereby form a lead feedstock for a ball mill, wherein the lead feedstock comprises the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte in an amount of at least 1 wt %, wherein the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte comprises an impurity, and optionally wherein the impurity comprises a sulfurous compound;
• feeding the lead feedstock into the ball mill, and operating the ball mill at a temperature and time that forms the lead suboxide and oxidizes the impurity, wherein the lead suboxide comprises a plurality of lead oxide particles and a plurality of metallic lead particles and wherein the lead suboxide comprises the impurity in an amount of less than 0.01 wt. %;
• and
• removing at least some of the lead suboxide from the ball mill.

A method of producing lead suboxide, comprising:

• producing at a cathode of an electrolytic reactor metallic lead from an aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte, wherein the metallic lead is formed in form of lead flakes, spongy lead, or a nano- and/or microcrystalline lead matrix and wherein the metallic lead contains some of the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte;
• removing at least some of the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte from the metallic lead to thereby form a lead feedstock for a ball mill, wherein the lead feedstock comprises the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte in an amount of at least 1 wt %, wherein the aqueous lead ion-containing electrolyte comprises an impurity, and optionally wherein the impurity comprises a sulfurous compound;
• melting the lead feedstock to form a liquid lead feedstock;
• oxidizing at least a portion of the liquid lead feedstock in a Barton pot process to form lead suboxide and oxidize the impurity, wherein the lead suboxide comprises a plurality of lead oxide particles and a plurality of metallic lead particles and wherein the lead suboxide comprises the impurity in an amount of less than 0.01 wt. %;
• and
• removing at least some of the lead oxide particles from the Barton pot process.