Recovery of magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate from zinc flotation tailing
Resource recovery is a process that has been used to obtain products from industrial waste. Mining tailings can be used as an alternative through ore beneficiation to create by-products for this type of waste. The work herein investigated the recovery of two products from a real tailing generated in...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/451002 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/451002 https://dx.doi.org/10.46873/2300-3960.1469 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Resource recovery Hydrometallurgy Mining tailing Magnesium sulfate Calcium sulfate Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria química |
| Sumario: | Resource recovery is a process that has been used to obtain products from industrial waste. Mining tailings can be used as an alternative through ore beneficiation to create by-products for this type of waste. The work herein investigated the recovery of two products from a real tailing generated in the Zn beneficiation route in the flotation step. A non-magnetic fraction was submitted to a hydrometallurgical route to produce MgSO4 and CaSO4. Thermodynamic simulations using FactSage software were performed to evaluate the optimal leaching conditions varying the S:L ratio, the sulfuric acid concentration, and temperature. The best modeled conditions for pure dolomite were established in 1.2 mol×L-1 H2SO4, S:L ratio 1:10, at room temperature, showing 100% Mg extraction. The simulation with the real composition showed 100% Mg extraction using 1.0 mol×L-1 H2SO4, S:L ratio 1:10, at room temperature. Experimental leaching tests led to Mg and Ca extraction yields of 72% ±5 and 2%, respectively, obtained at 50°C in 35 min. The cementation step resulted in 92.3% of Cd removal from the leach liquor with Zn:Cd ratio of 100:1 in 5 min at 25°C. The obtained by-products were CaSO4 and solubilized MgSO4. Both are potentially usable for agriculture purposes, being magnesium sulfate a secondary macronutrient as fertilizer, and CaSO4 as a soil conditioner. |
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