Leaching and thermal decomposition of mechanically activated sphalerite-pyrite mixture

Abstract

The effect of mechanical activation and pyrite addition on the thermal decomposition and acid leaching of sphalerite was studied. Mechanical activation enhances both hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of sphalerite. In comparison with the case when pure sphalerite was subjected to leaching the mixture of sphalerite and pyrite that was leached after its preliminary activation exhibited greater differences between the rates of dissolution of zinc and iron. From this follows that it is possible to carry out selective leaching.

Keywords

• mechanical activation
• pyrite
• sphalerite
• acid leaching
• thermal decomposition