The diagram illustrates the process by which lead is produced from lead-containing rock.
Overall, the process consists of eight stages, beginning with the extraction of lead-bearing rock and ending with the casting of refined lead. These stages can be broadly grouped into three main phases: raw material preparation, thermal treatment and production, and finalization.
Initially, the process begins when rock containing lead and other metals is mined and then transported by truck to a factory for further treatment. Following this, the extracted material is crushed into smaller pieces, after which water is added during the crushing stage. Once this step is complete, the crushed substance undergoes a mixing process in a tank, during which both water and pine oil are introduced to create a lead mixture.
Afterward, the material is transferred to a filtering unit before entering the refining stage. During refining, the filtered mixture is heated to approximately 1400°C, resulting in molten lead together with other metals, while waste gas is simultaneously released. The next step involves separating the molten substance in a kettle, where unwanted metals are removed as waste. The sequence concludes when the purified lead is cast into solid blocks, marking the end of the production process.