Sulfuric acid leaching of high iron-bearing zinc calcine

Sulfuric acid leaching of high iron-bearing zinc calcine was investigated to assess the effects of sulfuric acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, leaching time, leaching temperature, and the stirring speed on the leaching rates of zinc and iron. The results showed that the sulfuric acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, leaching time, and leaching temperature strongly influenced the leaching of zinc and iron, whereas stirring speed had little influence. Zinc was mainly leached and the leaching rate of iron was low when the sulfuric acid concentration was less than 100 g/L. At sulfuric acid concentrations higher than 100 g/L, the leaching rate of iron increased quickly with increasing sulfuric acid concentration. This behavior is attributed to iron-bearing minerals such as zinc ferrite in zinc calcine dissolving at high temperatures and high sulfuric acid concentrations but not at low temperatures and low sulfuric acid concentrations.