Method of leaching zinc concentrate with spent electrolyte and added iron(III) residue

摘要

There is provided a method for directly leaching zinc concentrate in one of the stages contained in the hydrometallurgical process for the production of electrolytic zinc. The invention method comprises: a neutral leach step, a zinc concentrate leach step, and an iron oxidation step. In the zinc concentrate leach step a neutral leach residue and an iron sediment returned from the iron oxidation step are repulped by the spent electrolyte followed by adding thereto zinc concentrate to extract zinc from the zinc concentrate by leaching it under atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of not lower than 90 DEG C but not higher than the boiling point of the solution. According to this method the concentration of Fe(III) ions in the zinc concentrate leach solution is significantly increased as compared with that of the corresponding leach solution of the prior art. Due to this Fe(III) ion concentration, leaching rate of zinc concentrate is enhanced.