Ruhr-zink Gmbh

Winfried Bohmer

Adolf Von Ropenack

Gunter Smykalla

Volker Wiegand

Heiner Grimm

For reprocessing of jarosite-containing residues to provide usable products, the jarosite-containing residues and concentrates which contain zinc sulfide are stirred in dilute sulfuric acid, which contains 40 to 100 g/l free sulfuric acid, in an autoclave under an oxygen partial pressure of at least 1,000 kPa and at a temperature from 130.degree. to 170.degree. C., the iron contents and the zinc contents of the residue and of the concentrate which contains zinc sulfide are substantially dissolved, flashing is effected and is succeeded by a separation of solution and solids, the solution is fed to the leaching circuit of a plant for the electrolytic production of zinc with precipitation of iron as hematite, the elemental sulfur is separated from the solids and the hematite residue is supplied to a further utilization.

Method of reprocessing jarosite-containing residues

In conjunction with an electrolytic production of zinc, the residues are processed so that the residue is leached with cell acid at a temperature from 50.degree. to 100.degree. C. in such a manner that a concentration of free acid from 10 to 100 g/l is obtained at the end of the leaching. The undissolved matter is separated from the suspension, the separated matter is supplied to the acid leaching step performed in the electrolytic production of zinc, and fine-grained metallic iron is added to the solution from which the undissolved matter has been removed so that copper is precipitated. The precipitated copper is separated and the liquid phase from which the precipitated copper has been separated is supplied to one of the stages which precede the precipitation of iron in the electrolytic production of zinc.

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Datteln, Germany

Winfried Bohmer