Patent ID: 6340450
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for leaching zinc concentrate in atmospheric conditions in the presence of trivalent iron, comprising feeding the zinc concentrate and a sulfuric acid solution into a leaching step under atmospheric conditions where in addition to trivalent iron, there are also jarosite nuclei, where the sulfuric acid content in the leaching step is maintained within 10-40 g/l, and the temperature in the leaching step is maintained between 80Â° C. and the boiling point of the sulfuric acid solution, and where to the leaching step there is fed oxygen, so that the zinc concentrate is dissolved and the iron is precipitated as jarosite, wherein a portion of the jarosite precipitate is recirculated to the leaching step to form the jarosite nuclei in the leaching step.