PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A COMPLEXLY CONTAMINATED SCRUBBER DUST - A BY-PRODUCT OF COPPER SMELTING IN SACHSEN-ANHALT, GERMANY

A physical and chemical description of a scrubber dust slurry, known a s Theisenschlamm, is presented. This material is generated as a by-pro duct during extraction of copper from a mineralized Permian black shal e (Kupferschiefer) in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. The Theisenschlamm cons ists of sulphide grains which are a complex solid solution of Pb, Zn, Cu and Fe. The crystal structures are modified forms of galena and sph alerite/wurtzite. Variations in the X-ray diffraction peak positions o f these minerals reflect the poorly developed lattice structures of th ese phases. Anglesite is a secondary phase. The Theisenschlamm contain s 18% Zn and 14% Pb as well as significant concentrations of PAH, PCDD and other organic compounds, rare metals and radionuclides (e.g. Po-2 10 and Pb-210). The original particles have a median diameter of 1.25 mu m, however, these particles are themselves aggregates of still smal ler particles, typically of submicron size. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.