Abstract Herein, the first-ever use of Fe2(SO4)3 solution as a leaching reagent to leach Zn from smithsonite under mechanical activation is reported. Thermodynamic calculations demonstrate that the leaching reaction's Gibbs free energy change is negative at ambient temperature and pressure (298.15 K, 100 kPa), implying the thermodynamic spontaneity and feasibility of the reaction. The feasibility assessment of leaching confirmed that ZnCO3 can be converted to water-soluble ZnSO4 through a near-stoichiometric reaction with Fe2(SO4)3 solution. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction analyses show that Fe3+ ions precipitate into the leaching residues in the form of an amorphous phase. Leaching experiments with low-grade smithsonite are performed to determine the leaching effect of natural smithsonite ore using Fe2(SO4)3 solution. Optimum conditions (the Fe/Zn molar ratio: 1.4, the rotational speed of the planet carrier comprising the mill: 300 rpm, the mechanochemical leaching time: 60 min, the liquid–to–solid ratio 1–10 mL·g−1) yielded a leaching efficiency of 99.6%. The proposed process provides a new simple approach for extracting Zn from carbonate-type Zn oxide ores.

中文翻译：

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Fe2(SO4)3溶液机械化学浸出低品位菱锌矿中的Zn

摘要 本文首次报道了使用 Fe2(SO4)3 溶液作为浸出剂在机械活化下从菱锌矿中浸出 Zn。热力学计算表明，浸出反应的吉布斯自由能变化在环境温度和压力（298.15 K，100 kPa）下为负，表明反应的热力学自发性和可行性。浸出的可行性评估证实，ZnCO3 可以通过与 Fe2(SO4)3 溶液的接近化学计量的反应转化为水溶性的 ZnSO4。此外，X 射线衍射分析表明，Fe3+ 离子以无定形相的形式沉淀到浸出残​​留物中。对低品位菱锌矿进行浸出实验，确定天然菱锌矿使用 Fe2(SO4)3 溶液浸出的效果。最佳条件（Fe/Zn摩尔比：1.4，组成磨机的行星架转速：300 rpm，机械化学浸出时间：60 min，液固比1-10 mL·g-1）浸出率为 99.6%。所提出的方法为从碳酸盐型氧化锌矿石中提取锌提供了一种新的简单方法。