Investigation of zinc extraction from different leach residues by acid leaching

With different properties, zinc is one of the most important non-ferrous metals and is widely used as an anti-corrosion agent. This study investigates zinc recovery from two types of leach residues: Turkish leach residue (TLR) and Iranian leach residue (ILR), which were accumulated in significant quantities at the C ¸ inkur plant. Detailed chemical, mineralogical, and thermal analyses were conducted to characterize these residues. Leaching experiments were performed using sulphuric acid (H2SO4) under varied conditions, including temperature, pulp density, and stirring rate to analyze the effect on zinc recovery. The initial findings showed similar chemical compositions for both residues; however, experimental results indicated that the zinc recovery percentage from ILR was consistently higher than that from TLR across all tested durations and acid concentrations. This difference is attributed to varying percentages of Zn-containing compounds within the residues. The outcomes of this research contribute valuable insights into the efficiency of zinc extraction from different leach residues, fostering better environmental practices in metal recovery.