2016-Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS 2016 Volume 8: Non-ferrous, Rotary Kiln, Ferro-alloys, Rare Earth, Coal

Editors:Kongoli F, Xueyi G, Shumskiy V, Kozlov P, Capiglia C, Silva AC, Turna T
Publisher:Flogen Star OUTREACH
Publication Year:2016
Pages:350 pages
ISBN:978-1-987820-50-8
ISSN:2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series)
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    Recovery Of Metals From Zinc Sulfate Solutions In Trepca Company

    Musa Rizaj1; Nurten Deva2; Sali Kurshumliu3; Afrim Osmani4; Edward Z. OBrien5; Florian Kongoli6; Edward Z. OBrien5;
    1UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA, Prishtina, Kosovo; 2PUBLIC UNIVERSITY OF MITROVICE - ISA BOLETINI - , FACULTY OF GEOSCIENCES, REPUBLIC OF KOSOVA, Mitrovice, Kosovo; 3TREPçA MINE, AKP, MITROVICA, KOSOVO, Mitrovica, Kosovo; 4, Prishtine, Kosovo; 5FLOGEN TECHNOLOGIES INC, Wilmington, United States; 6FLOGEN TECHNOLOGIES INC., Mont-Royal, Canada;
    Type of Paper: Keynote
    Id Paper: 296
    Topic: 6

    Abstract:

    Trepca Company, as per design capacity, can produce about 90,000 t/year zinc sulfate solutions as a by-product of neutral leaching of zinc calcine. Besides zinc, these sulfate solutions contain impurities such as Cu, Cd, Co, Ni, As, Ge, Sb, Se, Te and Ag with the following average concentrations: Cu and Cd = 0.2-1.2 mg/l; Co=1.0-10mg/l; Ni =20-50 mg/l; As, Ge, Sb, Se, Te and Ag = 0.1-0.5 mg/l. Based on the above data, it is evident that the selective recovery of these metals from these solutions represent a significant economic added value. In this point of view, in order to revive and improve operation practices as per design capacity in the Trepca Company, a project is undertaken in cooperation with FLOGEN Technologies Inc. in order to increase efficiency of the process through proper control and optimization. In this paper the existing refining process within the entire flowsheet is described as per design parameters. The recovery of metals by separation and cementation in metallic forms is overviewed based on the fact that these metals have higher electro-chemical potentials than zinc. The operation factors that have the most profound effect on the process such as impurity concentration, temperature, time, etc. are described. The improvement aspects of this process through proper control and automation will be subject of a subsequent paper in the future.

    Keywords:

    Industry; Melting; Metal; Non-Ferrous; Recovery; Temperature;

    References:

    [1] L.A. Kazanbaev, P.A. Kozlov, Kubasov V.L., A.V. Kolesnikov; “Zinc Hydrometallurgy”, ISBN: 5-98191-020-8, «Ore and Metals", 2006. – p. 176
    [2] J. Krüger, G. M. Bernal, Alternative solution purification in the hydrometallurgical zinc production, Proceedings of EMC 2001, ISBN 3-935797-00-1, 18 to 21 September 2001, Friedrichshafen, Germany.
    [3] D. D. Rodier: “The Canadian electrolytic zinc sulphate solution purification process and operating practice. A case study”, in: Lead-Zinc-Tin TMS-AIME Ëorld Symp. On Metallurgy & Environmental control, (1980), pp.157-177.
    [4] A. Nelson, G.P. Demopoulos and G. Houlachi: “The effect of solution constituents and novel activators on cobalt cementation”, Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, Vol 39, No 2, (2000), pp. 175-186.
    [5] Purification Process, Vieille Montagne, Operating Guide, Book III, Trepca mine, zinc plant, 1982, Mitrovica, Kosovo.

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    Cite this article as:

    Rizaj M, Deva N, Kurshumliu S, Osmani A, OBrien E, Kongoli F, OBrien E. Recovery Of Metals From Zinc Sulfate Solutions In Trepca Company. In: Kongoli F, Xueyi G, Shumskiy V, Kozlov P, Capiglia C, Silva AC, Turna T, editors. Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit SIPS 2016 Volume 8: Non-ferrous, Rotary Kiln, Ferro-alloys, Rare Earth, Coal. Volume 8. Montreal(Canada): FLOGEN Star Outreach. 2016. p. 191-196.