METHOD OF PROCESSING SULFIDE COPPER-ZINC MATERIALS Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: metallurgy; processing sulfide polymetallic materials containing zinc, copper and iron. SUBSTANCE: proposed method includes autoclave oxidizing leaching of part of ground starting material under pressure of oxygen at temperature above sulfur melting point and mole ratio of H₂SO₄:Zn equal to (0.85-1.12) for obtaining zinc-containing solution and insoluble residue containing copper, zinc, iron in form of sulfides, lead and precious metals followed by direction of zinc-containing solution to next leaching stage to which part of starting material is fed; leaching at second stage is performed by autoclave oxidizing method at temperature above sulfur melting point and mole ratio of H₂SO₄:Zn equal to (0.85 - 1.12), thus obtaining solution containing at least 100 g/l of zinc and insoluble residue containing copper, zinc, iron and precious metals; insoluble residues are directed for processing by known methods. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of processing sulfide copper-and-zinc materials at low content of zinc; increased throughput of process and improved quality of commercial product. 1 tbl, 3 ex