Recovery of Zinc from Zinc Oxide Ore by Sulfuric Acid Leaching

This study investigates the extraction from zinc oxide ore by leaching using sulfuric acid. Effects of some parameters such as leaching time, acid concentration, leaching temperature, particle size and solid/liquid ratio were studied for maximum zinc extraction and minimum acid consumption. Optimum leaching conditions were determined to be 120 minutes of leaching time, 55 g/L H2SO4 of acid concentration, 25 ？C of leaching temperature, -780 μm of particle size and a solid/liquid ratio of 1/10. In these optimum conditions, 93.42% of zinc extraction and 1.58 (ton H2SO4/dissolved ton Zn) of acid consumption were achieved