Process for the separation of lead from a sulfidic concentrate

A process for the separation of lead from a sulfidic concentrate using a flash-smelting furnace which has a lower furnace, a riser pipe connected to the lower furnace for removing gas from the lower furnace, and a reaction shaft connected to the lower furnace, said reaction shaft having an upper section with means for feeding said concentrate into said upper section, comprising the steps of feeding a finely-divided concentrate, a silicate-high slagging agent, and air or oxygen-enriched air into said upper section of said reaction shaft in order to form a suspension and to oxidize the lead to lead oxide, removing gases via said riser pipe, and withdrawing melt from said lower furnace for further treatment which process further comprises feeding the slagging agent at such a rate that substantially all of the lead oxide reacts with the slagging agent to produce lead silicate, resulting in a melt in the form of a slag containing substantially all of the lead silicate in said lower furnace, withdrawing melt from the lower furnace;

• and directing all of the melt withdrawn from the lower furnace to a reduction furnace in order to reduce the lead silicate to produce raw lead and a slag low in lead and high in silicate and separating raw lead from the slag.