Leaching of Indium from Indium-and Iron-Bearing Sphalerite Concentrate in Sulfuric Acid-Ferric Sulfate Solution

Leaching of indium from an indium-and iron-bearing sphalerite concentrate in sulfuric acid- ferric sulfate solution was examined. The effects of various parameters were studied. Increases in the stirring speed, temperature, ferric ion and sulfuric acid concentrations, and decreases in the particle size, enhanced the indium leaching rate. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses of the unreacted and reacted sphalerite concentrate particles showed that elemental sulfur was formed and precipitated at the particle surfaces. The results show that dissolution was controlled by a mixed-control process. In the initial stage, the dissolution kinetics was chemically controlled. When more elemental sulfur was present on the particle surfaces, the dissolution kinetics was controlled by mass transfer though the sulfur layer. The activation energy of the chemically controlled step was 33.9 kJ/mol. The reaction orders with respect to the initial sulfuric acid and ferric ion concentrations were approximately 0.74 and 0.60, respectively.