Recovery of copper and zinc as sulfides from copper-iron sulfides

A process for recovery of zinc values contained in thermally activated iron containing copper and zinc sulfides in which said activated sulfides have been subjected to an acid leach in aqueous sulfuric acid to produce a solution of ferrous sulfate and a solids residue containing copper and zinc and separation of said solution containing ferrous sulfate from said solids residue which comprises:

• reacting said solids residue containing copper and zinc with an acidic copper sulfate solution containing from about 20 to about 100 gpl copper and from about 5 to about 35 gpl sulfuric acid at a temperature in the range of from about 140.degree. to about 200.degree. C. under autogenous pressure whereby copper values are precipitated as a simple copper sulfide with concurrent dissolution of iron and zinc values to form a solution of ferrous sulfate containing said dissolved zinc values, separating said solution of ferrous sulfate from the simple copper sulfides, and reacting said solution with H.sub.2 S for precipitation of zinc values therefrom as zinc sulfide.