Leaching of sphalerite from Pb-Zn-Cu-Fe sulphide concentrate by sulphuric acid in the presence of sodium nitrate

Abstract

During floatation of polimetalic ores, in addition to selective concentrates there is a collective sulphide concentrate due to the presence of small mineral types and their complex inter-relations. The existing metallurgies capacities cannot process collective concentrates and therefore our research was focused on a possibility to process the concentrates by leaching with sulphuric acid in the presence of sodium nitrate as an oxidant. A part of research related to the leaching of zinc from polimetalic concentrate in the abovementioned conditions comprises the following phases: thermodynamic analysis of possible leaching reactions, characterization of polimetalic concentrate, investigation of the temperature and time effects on zinc leaching and kinetic analysis of experimental research.

Pri flotaciji polimetaličnih ruda, pored selektivnih koncentrata, često nastaje kolektivni sulfidni koncentrat zbog prisustva sitnih mineralnih vrsta i njihovih kompleksnih međusobnih odnosa. Postojeći metalurški kapaciteti nisu u mogućnosti da vrše preradu kolektivnih koncentrata, pa su naša istraživanja bila usmerena na ispitivanje mogućnosti njihove prerade luzenjem sumpornom kiselinom u prisustvu natrijum-nitrata kao oksidansa. U ovom radu je prikazan deo ispitivanja vezan za luženje cinka iz polimetaličnog koncentrata и pomenutim uslovima i obuhvata sledeće termodinamičku analizu mogućih reakcija luženja, karakterizaciju polimetaličnog koncentrata, ispitivanje uticaja temperature i vremena na izluženje cinka i kinetičku analizu eksperimentalnih ispitivanja.