METHOD OF PROCESSING SULFIDE COPPER-ZINC RAW MATERIAL CONTAINING IRON Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: hydrometallurgy of non- ferrous metals. SUBSTANCE: proposed method includes acid pressure leaching of material in form of aqueous pulp at temperature of 160 to 180 C and partial pressure of oxygen of 0.1 to 0.5 Mpa conducted in thick pulps at liquid-to-solid ratio of L:H≤3,; part of zinc-containing circulating solution containing copper in the amount of 0.5 to 5 g/cu dm which is used as activator and catalyst of process and sulfuric acid in the amount of 15 to 30 g/cu dm is used as intensifying agent of process of passing of zinc and copper into solution resulting in concentrated zinc solutions containing 110 to 130 g/cu dm of Zn which are suitable for obtaining metallic zinc. EFFECT: intensification of leaching process resulting in concentrated zinc solutions; increased extraction of copper to 65-80% at minimum content of iron in solution. 1 tbl, 3 ex