Pressure leaching of zinc silicate ore in sulfuric acid medium

Zinc silicate ore was characterized mineralogically and the results showed that zinc exists mainly as hemimorphite and smithsonite in the sample. Sulfuric acid pressure leaching of zinc silicate ore was carried out to assess the effect of particle size, sulfuric acid concentration, pressure, reaction time and temperature on the extraction of zinc and the dissolution of silica. Under the optimum conditions employed, up to 99.25% of zinc extraction and 0.20% silica dissolution are obtained. The main minerals in leaching residue are quartz and small amounts of undissolved oxide minerals of iron, lead and aluminum are associated with quartz.