Noranda Mines Limited

Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Limited

Nassef E Ghatas

John G Peacey

A method for producing and distributing wet zinc dust to a zinc sulfate purification system or other zinc plant operation is disclosed. The method comprises atomizing molten zinc with high pressure water or other suitable medium, and feeding a predetermined amount of the wet zinc dust to at least one zinc sulphate purification tank or any other zinc plant operation.

Wet zinc dust atomization and distribution

A method is provided for purifying zinc sulphate solutions containing copper, cadmium and cobalt impurities, which comprises, in a first stage, treating the impure zinc sulphate solution with zinc dust and an antimony and/or arsenic compound so as to form a cement containing essentially all the copper and cadmium and a portion of the cobalt and separating this cement from the partially purified solution, then, in a second stage, treating the partially purified solution with zinc dust and an antimony and/or arsenic compound to form a cement containing essentially metallic zinc as well as the remaining cobalt and other incidental impurities and separating this cement from the purified solution and recycling at least the major portion of this cement to the first stage where it is used instead of zinc dust to effect further treatment of a fresh impure zinc sulphate solution. The purified solution from the second stage may also be subjected to a third purification stage for control purposes. This method provides an improved procedure for the purification of zinc sulphate solutions.

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Valleyfield, Canada

Nassef E Ghatas