Integrated recycling of non-ferrous metals at Boliden Ltd. Ronnskar smelter

The Ronnskar smelter has a wide experience in the field of recycling of non-ferrous metals. Today smelting and refining from primary and secondary raw materials are integrated in a complex flow sheet. Boliden operates a lead flash smelter, a lead refinery, a copper smelter and refinery, a sulphuric acid and sulphur dioxide plant, a slag fuming plant and precious metal plant at its Ronnskar smelter in the North of Sweden. The Business Area Smelter Operations also incorporates Boliden Bergsole, Sweden´s car battery recycler and Norzink, Norway, where recycled zinc stands for more than 20% of it´s production. Raw materials for the Ronnskar smelter include concentrates, ashes, slags, metallic scrap, electronic scrap, and steel making dust. The paper shortly describes current operations. Limits to recycling as experienced by a nonferrous smelter are discussed. The destinations of critical elements contained in raw materials are discussed