§ 9. Nonferrous metallurgy

Nonferrous metallurgy includes extraction and enrichment of ores, manufacture ­ and processing of nonferrous metals and their alloys, reception of hire and processing of a waste.

Nonferrous metallurgy has huge value for strengthening of defensive power, development of electrification, atomic engineering, aircraft, ferrous metallurgy and the chemical industry.

Nonferrous metals possess valuable properties. Tin, lead­, nickel are corrosion-resistant, the titan is heat-tolerant­, aluminium, copper, silver are good electroconductors­, etc.

In Kazakhstan nonferrous metallurgy has started to develop since then when in 1717 on Altai lead and zinc have been found out. Within a century, with 1730 till 1832, on Altai major fields - Berezovsky, Nikolaev, Ridder, Zyrjanov, Belousov, Krjukov, Sokolov have been opened. At the imperial government ­ of ore were taken only with close to the surface of the earth of sites on the mines rich with silver, lead and copper, and then because of impossibility of the further development them left.

In Kazakhstan for a long time were able to melt nonferrous metals. Clothes details of the sak soldier (archeological excavations near to Esik of Almaty area) prove the fact of their manufacturing from gold in V century BC.

October revolution was the beginning of an epoch of opening of valuable ­ ores on Altai. The first large enterprises of nonferrous metallurgy in republic are polymetallic industrial complex in Ridder and Karsakpai copper melting factory.

As a result of researches by academician K.I.Satpaev of vicinities ­ of Zhezkazgan deposits of nonferrous metals have been opened­. Now the Big Zhezkazgan is one of the world's largest deposits of the nonferrous metals including ­ such rare metals as osmium-187, gallium, etc. Deposits of Zhezkazgan group contain considerable stocks of copper. Copper melting industrial complexes are constructed in Zhezkazgan and Balkhash.

Basis of copper ore is copper pyrites. It can be distinguished on the brilliant yellow colour reminding gold. The average quantity of pure metal as a part of ore fluctuates ­ from 1,5 to 8 %. For reception 1 t it is necessary for pure copper to overwork 100 t raw materials, therefore copper melting factories are under construction ­ near to raw sources.

The copper melted by Balkhash melting industrial complex, corresponds to the world standards of willows the present is presented ­ at the London stock exchange of nonferrous metals as the quality standard­. Balkhash and Zhezkazgan melting industrial complexes export the production to many foreign countries.

In 1995 joint-stock company " Zhezkazgancolourmetal" has been transferred ­ in control of South Korean corporation "Sumsung", and in 1997, having united with Balkhash industrial complex of nonferrous metallurgy­ was reconstructed in corporation "Kazakhmys". The corporation structure ­ includes five underground mines, four mines of open-pit mining­, and also factory and factories. Main objectives of the corporation ­ are extraction and processing of nonferrous metals. "Kazakhmys" makes the following production: copper, lead concentrates­, the draught and refined copper, a lead dust, from lead shavings - ammonium, the electrode copper rest­, sulfuric acid and 12 kinds of consumer goods.

For clearing of draught copper of impurity it refine in the electrolite way.

Full extraction and the production technology of nonferrous metals without waste ­ are now an actual problem.

Copper deposits are available also in Sajak, Konyrat, Bozshakol, Zhilandy and Ulytau.

Copper in the pure state, and also in the form of alloys with tin (bronze), nickel (cupronickel) and beryllium (beryllium bronze), aluminium (duralumin), zinc (brass) is widely used in the electrical engineer ­ and mechanical engineering.

In the East and Southern Kazakhstan are extended lead - zinc ores which contain many elements, therefore they are called polymetals. Along with lead and zinc as a part of ores there are gold, silver, the titan, magnesium, antimony, copper, arsenic­. Lead-zinc industrial complexes are constructed near to deposits ­ of polymetallic ores. Polymetallic industrial complexes ­ are in Ridder and Zyrjanov.

In the southern part of republic the Shymkent lead factory is constructed which works on lead-zinc ores of Myrgalymsai, Ashchysai and Bajzhansai. Till 1991 this factory let out 25 kinds of production, 14 elements of mining raw materials here were extracted. Last years at factory made only 15 names of production and 9 elements of raw materials are only extracted.

In Zhongar Alatau there are mines in Tekeli, Koksu.

In the Central Kazakhstan the Zhajrem polymetallic ­ concentrating industrial complex operates­.

On output and technological level the most developed enterprises of nonferrous metallurgy are ­ Ust-Kamenogorsk lead-zinc and the titanium-magnesium industrial complexes using polymetallic ores of Ore Altai­. In 1996 on Ust Kamenogorsk lead-zinc industrial complex the ­ first ingots of gold have been received.

On gold manufacture Kazakhstan is on the third place among the CIS countries (after Russia and Uzbekistan), and on its stocks enters into first ten countries of the world. In 1991 the share of Kazakhstan in the CIS on gold mining has made 5 %, silver - 50 %. Large gold containing sites are Akbakai, Aksu, Zholymbet, Bestobe, Majkain and Bakyrchik. The most part of silver is extracted on Ore Altai.

After independence reception in 1996 the first ingots of gold have been let out on Ust Kamenogorsk leado-zinc industrial complex­. Along with it they are made at the enterprises of Astana (Stepnogorsk mountain-chemical industrial complex), Aktobe and Shymkent. In Ridder the polymetallic industrial complex works.

Since 1960 in republic new branches - manufacture ­ of aluminium, the titan, magnesium began to develop­.

Aluminium basically is received from bauxites. Bauxite ores superficially resemble clay, are not dissolved in water. Pure bauxites ­ are white colour. However aluminium ores are in the pure state a little widespread, in most cases they meet in the form of minerals of reddish or brown colour because of the maintenance ­ in them iron oxide.

Aluminium has in the pure state started to receive only in the beginning of XIX century. Till some time it was considered as rare and expensive metal. Even aluminium knives and plugs were stored in a family of the king of France as rare subjects and appreciated more expensively gold­.

Nonferrous metallurgy factories consume an energy considerable quantity (for example, for melt 1 t aluminium it is necessary 18 000 kW • h), therefore they are under construction near to the large centres developing the cheap electric power. As an example it is possible to result the titanium-magnesium industrial complex in Ust Kamenogorsk, polymetallic industrial complexes in Ridder and Zyrjanovsk, one of the world's largest the Pavlodar aluminium factory making ­oxide of aluminium (alumina) which then goes on Novokuznetsk factory (Western Siberia) for reception of pure aluminium. Raw materials for the aluminium industry are bauxites of Turgai steppe.

Kazakhstan wins first place in the world on tungsten stocks­. The prevailing part of deposits of tungsten is in Karaoba, Akshatau, Top Kajrakty and Bogety. ­ Ores rich with tungsten ­ are reconnoitered on deposits Northern Kajnar and the Bayan. The state balance considers tungsten stocks on 16 deposits­. About 85 % of stocks of tungsten are on the share of the East Kajrakty, Bogety, Koktemkol, Karaoba (the maintenance ­tungsten oxide of 0,12-0,19 %). Now on Zhambyl mine of joint-stock company "Karaoba -2005" lets out tungsten concentrates. On the deposit Northern Katpar building ­ of mountain-concentrating industrial complex on release of the concentrate ­ of tungsten is planned­­.

Rare and absent-minded metals are met in the Northern, Central and East Kazakhstan; on Ore Altai - magnesium, uranium, thorium, mercury, etc. As a part of these ores contains ­ from 0,001 to 0,1 % of pure metal.

From 4 million t uranium stocks on the share of Kazakhstan it is necessary about 1 million t. On this indicator it takes the second place in the world (after Australia). Also to Kazakhstan it is necessary more than 56 % of stocks ­ of uranium of the CIS countries. Uranium is now extracted on deposits of Inkai, Budennoi in the South Kazakhstan area. Also its stocks are available in Akmola, Mangistau areas and in the bottom ­ current of the river Ile Almaty area.

Annual extraction of uranium in Kazakhstan makes 15 thousand t. National ­ nuclear company "Kazatomprom" on uranium extraction is ­ on the second place among leaders of the uranium extracting companies of the world and is one of the largest exporters not only uranium and its connections, but also beryllium and tantalic production, and also fuel ­ for nuclear power stations. In the long term uranium extraction in Kazakhstan ­ will be finished to 18 thousand t.

In June, 2008 in Suzak area of the South Kazakhstan area the new Kazakhstan-Japanese enterprise for extraction of natural ­ uranium on the deposit Western Mynkuduk has opened­. The operator of mine is Open Company "Appak", created by the National nuclear company (NNC) "Kazatomprom" in close partnership with corporations ­"Sumitomo" and "KansaiElectricPower". Opening ­ of one more mine on the deposit Khurasan-1 also in partnership ­ with a pool of Japanese companies "Marubeni" and "Toshiba" will soon take place­­.

As to mine Western Mynkuduk on designed capacity - 1000 t an uranium concentrate - it is planned for deducing in 2010 and to maintain during almost quarter of the century. According to forecasts of experts, the manufacture total amount in this time will make ­ 18 thousand t. It is supposed that Open Company "Appak" production will be used for maintenance with nuclear fuel of the atomic power stations working in Japan.

At the first stage fuel tablets and assemblages for reactors of nuclear ­ stations from the Kazakhstan powder ceramic uranium dioxide is planned to make abroad. In the further their manufacture ­ and certification for the Japanese market will master Ulbi metal factory­. The partnership ­ with the Japanese companies is planned to let out the first parties of fuel assemblages of reactors of the western design in 2012. In the long term ­ will allow NNC to occupy with "Kazatomprom" ­ 40 % of the market of nuclear fuel of the country of the rising sun.

Rare metals - the name of group of the metals used in small amounts or concerning new in technician. Hundreds tons of ore are necessary for processing of rare metals and a ­ water and energy considerable quantity­. Rare and absent-minded metals contain in ore in very small quantities. It represents certain complexities in the course of their processing.

At fusion of rare metals introduction in their structure of other metals that promotes improvement of quality of rare metals practises­, gives them hardness, durability, fire resistance.

Special group rare metals and absent-minded elements form (zirconium, niobium, tantalum, lithium, beryllium, germanium, selenium, tellurium, indium, etc.). Their industrial use has begun rather ­ recently in connection with development of electronics, radio engineering and atomic engineering. Value of rare metals and absent-minded elements very quickly increases.

Kazakhstan by many kinds of nonferrous metals comes to the forefront­. Now the republic exports nonferrous metals ­ to 30 countries of the world.