Enhanced Recovery of Zn from Carbonate-Type Mixed Oxidized Ore (CMO) by Combining Organic Acid Leaching with Mechanical Activation

With excessive consumption of sulfide ores, using low-grade Pb-Zn mixed ores to obtain Zn has attracted more attention. Acid leaching is an effective method for recovery; however, a high concentration inorganic acid brings severe environmental issues, including acidic wastewater, contaminated soil, etc. Compared with acid, organic showed lower acidity and toxicity. Herein, we applied recovery from carbonate-type ore (CMO), by combining mechanical activation. Among the acids (lactic, malonic, citric, amber, acetic, tartaric one), lactic was selected its efficiency. The optimum condition identified via response surface methodology, 1.15 mol/L, L/S ratio 20, time 75 min, temperature °C. effect activation on further investigated. efficiency increased 90.1% after activation, which highest leaching. Mineralogical characterization that bulk minerals were milled into small particles while proportion amorphization increased. Such effects improved acid-solubility speciation. This work provided potential green metal sources.