RECOVERY OF ZINC, IRON, LEAD AND SILVER VALUES FROM ZINC SULPHIDE CONCENTRATE BY A MULTI-STAGE PRESSURE OXIDATION PROCESS

摘要

A process for recovering zinc and iron from zinc- and iron-containing sulphidic material, which also contains lead and silver, in which the sulphidic material is leached under oxidizing conditions in a series of leach steps to produce a zinc-containing solution from which zinc can be recovered by conventional means such as electrowinning, a lead- and silver-bearing product containing substantially all of the lead and a substantial portion of the silver present in the zinc-containing sulphidic materials, and a substantially pure, saleable or environmentally acceptable iron residue in the form of hematite which contains substantially all of the soluble iron present in the zinc-containing sulphidic materials. In addition, a substantial portion of the sulphide sulphur present in the zinc-containing sulphidic material is converted to elemental sulphur which is easily physically separable from the lead-containing residue.