The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 18, 1988
Filed:
Mar. 26, 1987
Donald R Spink, Waterloo, CA;
Jerry Y Stein, Thornhill, CA;
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, CA;
Abstract
A process comprises leaching zinc oxide either separately or in conjunction with iron oxides from a partially desulfurized zinc bearing sulfide ore of concentrate. The ore is pretreated to eliminate in a controlled manner sulfur-sulfur-sulfide in the ore yet leaving sufficient residual sulfur-sulfide in the material such that iron values are maintained substantially wholly in the ferrous state, while converting zinc sulfide to zinc oxide without formation of FeO-ZnO complexes. The partially desulfurized material may be selectively leached with a sulfuric acid containing solution under neutral leach conditions to dissolve thereby preferentially the zinc oxide over the iron oxide. Alternatively the material may be leached with a higher concentration of sulfuric acid containing solution to dissolve preferentially zinc oxide and iron oxide simultaneously. The leach liquor may be subsequently treated to electrolytically remove zinc.