Two-stage pressure leaching process for zinc and iron bearing mineral sulphides

Claim 1

In a process for recovering zinc from zinc and iron-containing mineral sulphides in which the sulphides, in finely divided form, are pressure leached with aqueous sulphuric acid solution under oxidizing conditions to convert sulphide sulphur to elemental form and produce a zinc sulphate bearing leach-end solution which, after purification, is subjected to electrolysis to recover cathode zinc and produce a return electrolyte containing residual zinc values and sulphuric acid, the improved procedure for obtaining rapid and substantially complete extraction of zinc from said sulphides and for producing a leach-end solution low in dissolved iron and free acid which comprises conducting said pressure leaching under a positive partial pressure of oxygen and at a temperature above about 135° C. but below about 175° C. in two countercurrent stages with said mineral sulphides being fed into the first of said two leaching stages and said return electrolyte being fed into the second of said two leaching stages; adjusting and co-relating the quantity of said mineral sulphides fed into said first leaching stage relative to the quantity of acid fed to said second leaching stage with said return electrolyte such that at least about one mole of zinc in sulphide form enters said first leaching stage for each mole of acid entering said second leaching stage and, at the same time, controlling the quantity of return electrolyte entering said second leaching stage such that about 1 mole of acid enters for each mole of zinc that must be dissolved in said electrolyte to increase the zinc concentration thereof to a predetermined level suitable for treatment of said solution in said electrolysis operation; continuing said first leaching stage to extract zinc values from said mineral sulphides with concurrent conversion of sulphide sulphur to elemental sulphur and to produce a first stage leach residue containing unreacted sulphides, elemental sulphur and precipitated iron and a first stage leach solution having a pH above 1 and containing dissolved zinc, less than about 3 g.p.l. free sulphuric acid and less than 2 g.p.l. of dissolved iron; passing said first stage leach solution to said purification and then to said electrolysis steps and passing said first stage leach residue to said second leaching stage; continuing said second leaching stage to extract substantially all zinc from said first stage leach residue and to produce a second stage leach residue containing any unreacted sulphides, elemental sulphur and precipitated iron and a second stage leach solution containing said extracted zinc, unreacted sulphuric acid and dissolved iron; and separating said second stage leach solution from said second stage leach residue and passing said second stage leach solution to said first leaching stage.