Treatment of zinc leach residue
AssigneeGlencore Technology Pty Limited
InventorsAlistair Stewart BURROWS, Leonid Albertovich USHKOV, Turarbek Anarbekovich AZEKENOV
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Abstract
According to the present invention there is provided a method for treating a zinc leach residue comprising the steps of: adding the zinc leach residue and a sulfide material comprising copper and flux to a furnace having a molten bath therein; operating the furnace to produce a matte comprising copper and a slag comprising zinc; separating the matte from the slag; and recovering zinc from the slag. The method preferably comprises the additional step of recovering the copper and/or other precious metals such as silver and gold, from the matte.
Claims26
A method for treating a zinc leach residue comprising the steps of:
- adding the zinc leach residue and a sulfide material comprising copper and flux to a furnace having a molten bath therein;
- operating the furnace to produce a matte comprising copper and a slag comprising zinc;
- separating the matte from the slag;
- and
- recovering zinc from the slag,
- wherein the matte formed in the furnace comprises between about 40 to 75% copper.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.