The behavior of germanium in the purification of zinc sulfate electrolyte

Zinc is extracted from sulfide ore by roasting – calcine leaching and direct pressure leaching of zinc sulfide, followed by zinc recovery from sulfate solution via electrowinning. Impurity elements in zinc sulfate solution must be lowered to levels suitable for electrowinning. The removal of many impurity elements is achieved using zinc dust cementation. However, when germanium concentration in solution exceeds a certain value, certain impurity elements re-dissolve back into solution, leading to inefficient removal. This research will seek to understand how higher germanium levels impact the performance of a zinc cementation circuit and identify ways to mitigate these effects.

Faculty Supervisor:

Wenying Liu;David Dreisinger

Student:

Partner:

Teck Metals Ltd

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Mining

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: