Technological mineralogy and environmental activity of zinc leaching residue from zinc hydrometallurgical process

Chemical, physical, structural and morphological properties of zinc leaching residue were examined by the combination of various detection means such as AAS, XRF, XRD, M？ssbauer spectrometry, SEM-EDS, TG-DSC, XPS and FTIR. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure （TCLP） was used to investigate the environmental activity of zinc leaching residue for a short contact time. The phase composition analysis indicated that the zinc leaching residue mainly consists of super refined flocculent particles including zinc ferrite, sulfate and silicate. The physical structural analysis showed that it has a thermal instability and strong water absorption properties. The results of TCLP indicated that the amounts of Zn and Cd in the leaching solution exceed 40 and 90 times of limit, respectively, which demonstrate that this residue is unstable in weak acidic environment for a short contact time.

Selective reduction process of zinc ferrite and its application in treatment of zinc leaching residues

The traditional zinc hydro-metallurgy generates a large amount of zinc ferrite residue rich in valuable metals. The separation of iron is crucial for resource recycling of valuable metals in zinc ferrite residue. A novel selective reduction roasting？leaching process was proposed to separate zinc and iron from zinc leaching residue which contains zinc ferrite. The thermodynamic analysis was employed to determine the predominant range of Fe3O4 and ZnO during reduction roasting process of zinc ferrite. Based on the result of thermodynamic calculation, we found thatV（CO）/V（CO＋CO2） ratio is a key factor determining the phase composition in the reduction roasting product of zinc ferrite. In the range ofV（CO）/V（CO＋CO2） ratio between 2.68% and 36.18%, zinc ferrite is preferentially decomposed into Fe3O4 and ZnO. Based on thermogravimetric （TG） analysis, the optimal conditions for reduction roasting of zinc ferrite are determined as follows： temperature 700？750 °C, volume fraction of CO 6% and V（CO）/V（CO＋CO2） ratio 30%. Based on the above results, zinc leaching residue rich in zinc ferrite was roasted and the roasted product was leached by acid solution. It is found that zinc extraction rate in zinc leaching residue reaches up to 70% and iron extraction rate is only 18.4%. The result indicates that zinc and iron can be effectively separated from zinc leaching residue.

Environmental availability and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue

Four different methods,namely mineralogical analysis,three-stage BCR sequential extraction procedure,dynamic leaching test and Hakanson Potential Ecological Risk Index Method were used to access the environmental activity and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue.The results demonstrate that the environmental activity of heavy metals declines in the following order：CdZnCuAsPb.Potential ecological risk indices for single heavy metal are CdZnCuAsPb.Cd has serious potential ecological risk to the ecological environment and contributes most to the potential toxicity response indices for various heavy metals in the residue.

Effect of mechanical activation on dissolution kinetics of neutral leach residue of zinc calcine in sulphuric acid

Neutral leach residue of zinc calcine （NLRZC） was mechanically activated by a stirring ball mill. Subsequently, the changes in physicochemical properties and dissolution kinetics in sulphuric acid were studied. The crystalline structure, morphology, particle size and specific surface area of the non-activated and mechanically activated NLRZC were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, particle size analyzer and volumetric adsorption analyzer, respectively. The characterization results indicate that mechanical activation （MA） induced remarkable changes in the physicochemical properties of NLRZC. The leaching experiments show that MA significantly enhances the leaching reactivity of NLRZC using the zinc extraction as evaluating index. After NLRZC is mechanically activated for 30 min and 60 min, the activation energy decreases from 56.6 kJ/mol of non-activated NLRZC to 36.1 kJ/mol and 29.9 kJ/mol, respectively. The reaction orders of the non-activated, 30 and 60 min activated NLRZC dissolution with respect to H2SO4 concentration were found to be 0.34, 0.30, and 0.29, respectively.

Reductive acid leaching of cadmium from zinc neutral leaching residue using hydrazine sulfate

Zinc neutral leaching residue（ZNLR） from hydrometallurgical zinc smelting processing can be determined as hazardous intermediate containing considerable amounts of Cd and Zn which have great threats to the environment. The ZNLR contained approximately 35.99% Zn, 15.93% Fe and 0.26% Cd, and Cd mainly existed as ferrites in the ZNLR in this research. Reductive acid leaching of ZNLR was investigated. The effects of hydrazine sulfate concentration, initial sulfuric acid concentration, temperature, duration and liquid-to-solid ratio on the extraction of Cd, Zn and Fe were examined. The extraction efficiencies of Cd, Zn and Fe reached 90.81%, 95.83% and 94.19%, respectively when the leaching parameters were fixed as follows： hydrazine sulfate concentration, 33.3 g/L; sulfuric acid concentration, 80 g/L; temperature, 95 °C; duration of leaching, 120 min; liquid-to-solid ratio, 10 m L/g and agitation, 400 r/min. XRD and SEM-EDS analyses of the leaching residue confirmed that lead sulfate（Pb SO4） and hydrazinium zinc sulfate（（N2H5）2Zn（SO4）2） were the main phases remaining in the reductive leaching residue.

Thermodynamics of leaching roasted jarosite residue from zinc hydrometallurgy in NH_4Cl system

The thermal decomposition process ofjarosite residue and the solubility of various oxides presented in the decomposed residue in NH4C1-H20 system were studied. The results of heat decomposition ofjarosite residue show that the insoluble ZnFe2O4 phase in the residue can be decomposed at temperatures ranging from 500 ℃ to 650 ℃ for 1 h. The OLI Systems software was used to study the thermodynamics of the solubility of various metal oxides existing in the decomposed residue in NH4CI-H20 system. The results show that the solubility ofZnO, PbO, CdO, CuO and Ag20 is high, while the solubility of Fe203 is less than 10-4 mol/L in the pH range from 4.0 to 9.0. The calculated data are in accordance with the experimental results.

Leaching and recovery of zinc from leaching residue of zinc calcine based on membrane filter press

The feasibility of leaching and recovery of zinc from zinc leaching residue （ZLR） based on a membrane filter press （MFP） was investigated. Experimental results show that zinc calcines with particle sizes of less than 106 μm and chambers of widths of 30 mm are appropriate for establishing uniform filter cakes to obtain acceptable leaching and recovery results. The leaching of zinc from ZLR performed via washing at 90 to 96 ℃ for 90 min with spent electrolyte using a MFP results in a zinc extraction rate of 97%, and almost all of the zinc leached are recovered after water washing with MFP, thereby avoiding any loss in the ZLR. Compared with the traditional hot concentrated acid leaching process, the process based on MFP as a leaching reactor is able not only to ensure a high extraction rate but also to reduce the leaching time. Moreover, the thickening, pulping, second leaching, washing, filtering and pressing could be integrated and realized using a single MFP.

Deep cleaning of a metallurgical zinc leaching residue and recovery of valuable metals

Huge quantities of zinc leaching residues(ZLRs) generated from zinc production are dumped continuously around the world and pose a potential environmental threat because of their considerable amounts of entrained heavy metals(mainly lead). Most ZLRs have not been properly treated and the valuable metals in them have not yet been effectively recovered. Herein, the deep cleaning of a ZLR and recovery of valuable metals via a hydrometallurgical route were investigated. The cleaning process consists of two essential stages: acid leaching followed by calcium chloride leaching. The optimum conditions for extracting zinc, copper, and indium by acid leaching were a sulfuric acid concentration of 200 g·L^(-1), a liquid/solid ratio of 4:1(m L/g), a leaching time of 2 h, and a temperature of 90°C. For lead and silver extractions, the optimum conditions were a calcium chloride concentration of 400 g·L^(-1), a pH value of 1.0, a leaching time of 1 h, and a temperature of 30°C. After calcium chloride leaching, silver and lead were extracted out and the lead was finally recovered as electrolytic lead by electrowinning. The anglesite phase, which poses the greatest potential environmental hazard, was removed from the ZLR after deep cleaning, thus reducing the cost of environmental management of ZLRs. The treatment of chlorine and spent electrolyte generated in the process was discussed.

Kinetics of simultaneous leaching of Ag and Pb from hydrometallurgical zinc residues by chloride

The leaching kinetics of silver and lead simultaneously from zinc residue by chloride was investigated.The effects of stirring speed,temperature,sodium chloride concentration,particle size and liquid/solid ratio on Ag and Pb dissolution in sodium chloride were studied.It was determined that the dissolution rates increased with increasing sodium chloride concentration,temperature and decreasing particle size.The dissolution kinetics followed a shrinking core model,with inter-diffusion through gangue layer as the rate determining step.This finding is in accordance with the apparent activation energy(E_a) of 26.8 kJ·mol^(-1)(Ag) and 26.5 kJ·mol^(-1)(Pb),and a linear relationship between the rate constant and the reciprocal of squared particle size.The orders of reaction with respect to sodium chloride concentration,temperature and particle size were also achieved.The rate of reaction based on diffusion-controlled process can be expressed by semi-empirical equations.

Sulfidation roasting of zinc leaching residue with pyrite for recovery of zinc and iron

Zinc leaching residue(ZLR) contains high content of valuable metals such as zinc and iron. However, zinc and iron mainly exist in the form of zinc ferrite, which are difficult to separate and recover. This study proposed a new process involving sulfidation roasting, magnetic separation and flotation to recover zinc and iron in ZLR. Through sulfidation roasting of ZLR with pyrite, zinc and iron were converted into ZnS and Fe3 O4. The effects of pyrite dosage, roasting temperature and roasting time on the sulfidation of zinc in ZLR were investigated. The results showed that the sulfidation percentage of zinc reached 91.8% under the optimum condition. Besides, it was found that ball-milling was favorable for the separation and recovery of zinc and iron in sulfidation products. After ball-milling pretreatment, iron and zinc were enriched from sulfidation products by magnetic separation and flotation. The grade of iron in magnetic concentrates was 52.3% and the grade of zinc in flotation concentrates was 31.7%, which realized the recovery of resources.

Recovery of valuable metals from zinc leaching residue by sulfate roasting and water leaching

Zinc leaching residue(ZLR),produced from traditional zinc hydrometallurgy process,is not only a hazardous waste but also a potential valuable solid.The combination of sulfate roasting and water leaching was employed to recover the valuable metals from ZLR.The ZLR was initially roasted with ferric sulfate at640°C for1h with ferric sulfate/zinc ferrite mole ratio of1.2.In this process,the valuable metals were efficiently transformed into water soluble sulfate,while iron remains as ferric oxide.Thereafter,water leaching was conducted to extract the valuable metals sulfate for recovery.The recovery rates of zinc,manganese,copper,cadmium and iron were92.4%,93.3%,99.3%,91.4%and1.1%,respectively.A leaching toxicity test for ZLR was performed after water leaching.The results indicated that the final residue was effectively detoxified and all of the heavy metal leaching concentrations were under the allowable limit.

Leaching of lead from zinc leach residue in acidic calcium chloride aqueous solution

A process with potentially reduced environmental impacts and occupational hazards of lead-bearing zinc plant residue was studied to achieve a higher recovery of lead via a cost-effective and environmentally friendly process. This paper describes an optimization study on the leaching of lead from zinc leach residue using acidic calcium chloride aqueous solution. Six main process conditions, i.e., the solution pH value, stirring rate, concentration of CaC12 aqueous solution, liquid-to-solid （L/S） ratio, leaching temperature, and leaching time, were inves- tigated. The microstructure and components of the residue and tailing were characterized using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. On the basis of experimental results, the optimum reaction conditions were determined to be a solution pH value of 1, a stirring rate of 500 r·min-1, a CaC12 aqueous solution concentration of 400 g·L-1, a liquid-to-solid mass ratio of 7：1, a leaching tempera- ture of 80℃, and a leaching time of 45 min. The leaching rate of lead under these conditions reached 93.79%, with an iron dissolution rate of 19.28%. Silica did not take part in the chemical reaction during the leaching process and was accumulated in the residue.

Extraction and kinetic analysis of Pb and Sr from the leaching residue of zinc oxide ore

NH4HCO3 conversion followed by HCl leaching was performed and proven to be effective in extracting Pb and Sr from zinc extracted residual.The mechanism and operating conditions of NH4HCO3 conversion,including molar ratio of NH4HCO3 to zinc extracted residual,NH4HCO3 concentration,conversion temperature,conversion time,and stirring velocity,were discussed,and operating conditions were optimized by the orthogonal test.Experimental results indicate that NH4HCO3 conversion at temperatures ranging from 25 to 85°C follows the shrinking unreacted core model and is controlled by inner diffusion through the product layer.The extraction ratios of Pb and Sr under optimized conditions reached 85.15%and 87.08%,respectively.Moreover,the apparent activation energies of Pb and Sr were 13.85 and 13.67 kJ·mol^−1,respectively.

Leaching behavior of zinc and copper from zinc refinery residue and filtration performance of pulp under the hydrothermal process

This study aims to investigate the leaching behavior and filtration performance of zinc refinery residue under hydrothermal conditions. The relationships between the structure and morphology of silicon in the leaching residue and the pulp filtration performance were explored by determining the pulp filtration speed, analyzing quantitatively the silicon content in the leachate, and characterizing the leaching residue structure. The results show that hydrothermal leaching induces the coagulation–hydrolysis of the silicon in solution, consequently altering the microstructure of the leaching residue, and that silicon oxygen tetrahedra([SiO_4]^(4-)) form the main skeleton structure of the residue. The results obtained also show that the leaching rates of zinc and copper are 98.1% and 98.7%, respectively, and that the filtration speed is 526.32 L/(m^2·h) under the conditions of sulfuric acid concentration of 140 g/L, leaching temperature of 160°C, leaching time of 3.0 h, oxygen partial pressure of 0.75 MPa, stirring speed of 600 r/min, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 mL/g.

Kinetic Analysis of Isothermal Leaching of Zinc from Zinc Plant Residue

The sulfuric acid leaching of zinc plant residues was studied in an attempt to find a suitable hydrometallurgical method for zinc recovery. The parameters evaluated consist of reaction time, Solid-to-liquid-ratio, reaction temperature, agitation rate and pH. The results of kinetic analysis of the leaching data under various experimental conditions indicated that there is a reaction controlled by the solution transport of protons through the porous product layer with activation energy of about 1 kJ/mol for different constant solid to liquid ratios. Based on the shrinking core model (SCM), the following semiempirical rate equation was established:1-3(1-a)2/3+2(1-a)=0.001187×[H+]0.016×[(S/L)]-1.34×exp(-1/RT) ×t. On the other hand, activation energy was obtained from a model-free method using isothermal measurements. Values for activation energy were calculated as a result of the conversion function with an average of 2.9 kJ/mol. This value is close to that determined previously, using shrinking core model (SCM).

Removing chlorine of CuCl residue from zinc hydrometallurgy by microwave roasting

Most Zn hydrometallurgy factories adopt Cu2SO4 as a dechlorination reagent from zinc solution nowadays, thus much CuCl residue is produced. The existing process of treating this residue is washing with water or sodium carbonate solution, which would cause a lot of troubles to water treatment and waste discharge. A method of microwave roasting was adopted for dechlorination of CuCl residue. A 1.5 kW microwave roasting equipment with dust collection and tail gas adsorption systems was set up and applied during the experiment. By investigating the effect of temperature, heat preservation time, moisture content of raw material and grain size of samples on the dechlorination, the optimal experimental condition is obtained. When the samples with 2% moisture and <150 μm grain size are microwave roasted at 400 °C for 2 h, the Cl content turns from 14.27% to 1.35% and the dechlorination rate is as high as 90%, while that with conventional heating is only 60%-80%. The phase change of the roasting process investigated with X-ray diffraction verifies that CuCl in CuCl residue is removed by being transformed into CuO.

Research on the development of resource of zinc leaching residue process and the implementation of the environment friendly system

In this paper, we conduct research on the development trend of Zinc leaching residue and the construction of environment friendly system. To further strengthen concentration degree of the chemical industry, improve the production efficiency and utilization rate of emissions, realize the comprehensive utilization of energy development and the green development. In China＇ s zinc smelting industry, the use of most of the zinc smelting raw materials contain a small amount of the cobalt, zinc in the process of leaching into the zinc sulfate solution, as a harmful effect of the zinc impurities. For zinc sulfate leaching solution cobalt purification, most of the factories are using zinc powder replacement purification method, the output of the purification of zinc slag in the vast majority of zinc with small part of cadmium and a small amount of nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese and so on. This paper proposes the novel systematic method of the Zinc leaching residue re-use that will promote the further development of the green industry.

Increasing silver leaching rate from leaching-resistant zinc residues by thiourea leaching method with pressurized preoxidation process

As for the leaching-resistant zinc residues, the silver leaching rate can be over 98% through the process of pressurized preoxidation and thiourea leaching. Compared with the method of extracting the silver directly from the leaching-resistant zinc residues, the silver leaching rate is greatly improved. The optimum preoxidation conditions are: particle size range 4060 μm, oxygen partial pressure 10 6 Pa, temperature 8090 ℃, pH=1.0, and leaching time 5 h. After pretreatment, the time of thiourea leaching silver is shortened to 1.5 h, and the thiourea consumption is reduced greatly. The oxidation mechanism and the thiourea leaching kinetics were also explored.

Comprehensive Recycling Technology of Waste Residues in Zinc Hydrometallurgy

In order to improve the refining effect of zinc ore and promote the development of this industry,taking the hydrometallurgical zinc smelting process as an example,this paper first establishes a model for the recycling of waste residues in the hydrometallurgical process,proposes optimization measures based on proven comprehensive recycling technology for purifying residues to obtain higher valuable metal recovery rate,and provides reference for those in relevant fields.

Disposal of zinc extraction residues via iron ore sintering process:an innovative resource utilization

Zinc extraction residue,a solid waste generated from the treatment of zinc-containing dust in rotary kilns,is commonly stockpiled in steel companies for extended periods.It poses significant disposal challenges and environmental pollution risks.So far,research on the treatment of zinc extraction residues has been slow,inadequate,and sporadic.For this gap,a novel approach was proposed to effectively treat the zinc extraction residue via the iron ore sintering process.It was feasible to add 1 wt.%of zinc extraction residues to the sintering raw materials.The more adequate mineralization reaction resulted in higher yield and tumbler indexes,despite a slight decrease in sintering speed.Although this may result in a slight decrease in sintering speed,the more complete mineralization reaction leads to improved sintering yield and tumbler index.Interestingly,the addition of zinc extraction residues reduced the CO and NO_(x) concentrations in the sintering flue gas.Thus,the iron ore sintering process provided a viable solution for resource utilization and environmentally friendly treatment of zinc extraction residues.