Pressure Leach Approach

Roast Leach Approach

Concentrate

Return
electrolyte
Dross
Limestone

Concentrate
Dross

Pressure Leach
Iron

SO2

Roast

Leach residue
+ Sulphur

Leach
Iron

Acid Plant
Sulphuric Acid
Jarosite residue

Electrolyte

Removal residue

Purify
Return electrolyte
to leaching

Electrowin

Dross to roasting
or leaching

Casting
Slab zinc

Zinc dust

1 Concentrate feed
Chemical analysis (% by weight, dry basis)
Zn
Fe
S
Cu
Hg
Cl
Cd
Moisture (% by weight, dry basis)
Particle size % -44
2 Overall recoveries (%)
Zn
Cu
Cd

Pressure leach

Roast leach

45.0
16.3
34.5
1.5
0.014
0.008
0.15
6.0
63.0

45.0
16.3
34.5
1.5
0.014
0.008
0.15
6.0
63.0

95.0
60.0
90.0

95.0
85.0
90.0

3 Operating time (days/year)

4 Leaching
Operating pressure (Kpa)
Retention time (min)
Temperature (C)
Oxygen utilization (%)
H2SO4/Zn molar ratio
5 Electrowinning
Current density (A/m2)

700 (100 psi)

120

0
210 plus 2100
in jarosite stage
150
90
90
1.1

650

650

Concentrate

(15 g/l Zn, 1.0 g/l H2SO4, 0.5 g/l Fe)

Final solution

First stage or
neutral leach

Liquid-solid
separation

Partly reacted
solution

Partly reacted
solids

Liquid-solid
separation

Second stage
or acid leach

Final residue
(97 99% Zn extraction)

Return electrolyte
(50 g/l Zn, 150 g/l H2SO4)

In this 19.400-gal autoclave, sulphuric acid at 250C and 600 psi leaches latente

This 460 gal autoclave operates at 220C and 450 psi

A 16.600 gal autoclave for precipitation of sulphides whith hydrogen

sulphide

This 4.000 gal autoclave operates at 225 psi for oxidation leaching of Ni-Co
mattes

Rotary autoclave for leaching tungsten and molybdenum concentrates

Tube autoclave assembly (Belfeldt 1968)

Diagram of column autoclave system