Patent ID: 6869520

Claim:
A process for the continuous production of a top purity electrolytic zinc and zinc compounds of high purity, starting from zinc containing raw materials in at least one of solid and liquid states to be extracted by a hydro-metallurgical treatment which comprises the following steps: a) leaching any raw material in the solid state by an acidic aqueous solution in order to dissolve the zinc therein so as to produce a zinc containing solution, b) neutralizing the zinc containing solution of step a, c) separating a zinc rich aqueous solution from solids subsequent to neutralizing and combining any liquid state raw material with said zinc rich aqueous solution, d) subsequent to step c extracting zinc contained in the zinc rich aqueous solution by an organic acidic solvent to form a zinc rich loaded organic solvent, e) purifying the zinc rich loaded organic solvent coming from the extraction step d, f) stripping zinc from the zinc rich loaded organic solvent from step e utilizing an acidic solution, g) recovering the stripped zinc from the zinc containing acidic aqueous solution coming out of step f by use of a process chosen from the group consisting of electrowinning, crystallization, and precipitation, and further including the steps of: h) neutralizing any of the zinc containing solution produced in step b in “p” zones arranged in a cascade mode, “p” being at least equal to 2, i) purifying the zinc rich loaded organic solvent according to step e in at least one purifying zone chosen from the group of purifying zones consisting of “q” physical and “r” chemical purification streams operating in counter current mode.