Process for the removal of manganese and chloride ions from aqueous acidic zinc sulphate solutions and process for the recovery of zinc

摘要

Manganese and chloride ions are removed from aqueous acidic zinc sulphate solutions by treatment with ozone. The initial treatment precipitates the manganese as manganese dioxide and continued ozone treatment subsequently removes the chloride ions. The invention is particularly applicable to treatment of spent electrolyte solutions resulting from leaching zinc ores with aqueous sulphuric acid and electrolysis of the leach solution to recover the zinc, and in which manganese and choride ions are present in the leach solution either from the original ore, or by deliberate addition to the leach solution prior to electrolysis.