A kinetic study on nonoxidative dissolution of sphalerite in aqueous hydrochloric acid solutions

Abstract

The nonoxidative leaching of sphalerite in aqueous acidic solutions was studied from a kinetic point of view. Also the selective nonoxidation leaching in a hydrochloric acid solution containing a large amount of sodium chloride was examined for a Pb-Zn sulfide bulk concentrate. The dissolution rates of sphalerites from five different mines appeared to be controlled by a chemical reaction on the surface of sphalerite. The dissolution rate of sphalerite is of the first order with respect to the hydrogen ion activity of the solutions. It is also considerably affected by the iron content of the sphalerite sample; a linear relationship was observed between iron content of the sphalerite and its dissolution rate. The addition of sodium chloride to the hydrochloric acid solutions greatly enhanced dissolution rates. Compared to the dissolution rates of galena, which were reported in a previous paper, the dissolution rates of sphalerite were found to be far slower. The difference in the dissolution rates between these two minerals becomes greater with the addition of sodium chloride to the hydrchloric acid solutions. Based on these findings, the selective leaching of Pb-Zn bulk concentrate in a hydrochloric acid solution containing a large amount of sodium chloride was examined. The experimental results clearly showed that the galena was selectively leached, leaving a residue of sphalerite.