The Lead Smelting Process

The lead smelting process involves extracting lead from its ore, primarily galena (PbS). First, the ore is crushed and mixed with other materials, including coke (a type of carbon) and limestone. This mixture is heated in a furnace, where the carbon reacts with the oxygen in the ore to separate lead from sulfur, producing molten lead and waste gases. The molten lead is collected and refined, while impurities and slag are removed. The resulting lead can then be cast into shapes for various uses, such as batteries, solder, and radiation shielding.