METHOD OF PROCESSING SULFIDE COPPER CONCENTRATE AT HIGH CONTENT OF ZINC Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC C22B15/00 C22B3/20 

FIELD: hydrometallurgy; processing sulfide copper-zinc concentrates and middlings at high content of zinc.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method includes pressure oxidizing leaching of ground material under pressure of oxidizer (oxygen) at elevated temperature at passing of zinc into solution followed by hydrothermal sedimentation of copper. After 1-3 h of concentrate leaching, hydrothermal sedimentation of copper is performed with no delivery of oxidizer for 0.5-2 h at temperature of 130-160°C; then, indium solid product is deposited by neutralization from solution obtained after filtration and separation of copper concentrate at pH=2.5-3. Solutions thus obtained are cleaned from ferrous iron and ferric iron, arsenic, antimony for obtaining easily filtered residues at temperature of 90-95°C and sulfuric acid acidity not exceeding 5 g/l. Filtered iron residue is directed for burying and solutions are cleaned from cadmium by cementation at separation of copper-cadmium cake, after which zinc is deposited in form of commercial product (carbonate, zinc oxide, metallic zinc).

EFFECT: enhanced economical efficiency due to improved quality of copper concentrate, increased extraction of copper and indium into middlings.

1 dwg, 2 tbl, 1 ex