A geothermally powered zinc production subsystem includes a geothermal system with a wellbore extending from a surface into an underground magma reservoir. A hopper receives a sphalerite ore that is crushed and provided to a flotation tank. The flotation tank is heated by a heat transfer fluid heated by the geothermal system, and a product of the flotation tank is used to prepare zinc.

The present invention relates to a process for reducing the amounts of zinc and lead in starting materials comprising iron which comprises the steps of: selectively leaching Zn and Pb comprised in the starting materials by mixing the starting materials with hydrochloric acid and an oxidizing agent comprising at least 5 wt-% of manganese dioxide in one or several reactor(s) at a temperature superior or equal to 35 C. and at a p H comprised between 0.5 and 3.5, filtrating the mixture obtained in order to separate the solid and the filtrate, washing the solid with water, the resulting solid comprising mainly Fe, a reduced amount of Zn and Pb compared to the original starting materials, recovering the filtrate of step b) and the washing water of step c) which comprise chloride, solubilized Zn and Pb in one or several reactor(s), precipitating solubilized Zn, Pb in the recovered filtrate and the washing water by mixing with a neutralizing agent, filtrating and washing the solid residues obtained in step e) in order to remove the chloride from the solid residues which comprise at least Pb and Zn. The present invention also refers to the use of the materials obtained after treatment in a in a sinter plant and blast furnace or in all pyrometallurgical furnace which value iron such as electrical arc furnace (EAF), cupola furnace, oxycup furnace, submerged arc furnace (SAF), a plasma furnace, rotary hearth furnace.

The present invention refers to an improved process for recovering zinc from primary and secondary raw materials, said process comprising a first leaching step wherein the ratio between the zinc weight contained in the raw material and the volume of the leaching solution is at least 20 kg zinc per m.sup.3 of acid aqueous solution; a neutralization step; and a solvent extraction stage in the presence of organic extractant, wherein the temperature is maintained from 47 to 52 C.

Methods are provided for removing impurities from recycled battery black mass. The method includes mixing a delithiated black mass with a first solution to form a pre-leached delithiated black mass and a pre-leach solution, separating the pre-leached delithiated black mass from the pre-leach solution, mixing the separated pre-leached delithiated black mass and a second aqueous solution to form a mixture comprising graphite and a leachate solution, and separating the graphite and the leachate solution. The pre-leach solution is comprised of a first group of impurity ions while the leachate solution is comprised of a second group of impurity ions and cathode metal ions.

A method for producing nickel sulfate according to exemplary embodiments may prepare a raw material containing nickel. A first leachate may be produced by selectively leaching nickel from the raw material containing nickel using an oxidant. A second leachate may be produced by separating a residual metal from the first leachate. Thereafter, nickel sulfate may be obtained from the second leachate. Accordingly, unnecessary byproducts may be reduced by omitting a separate nickel extraction step.

The present disclosure is directed to a process for recovering copper and cobalt from a copper and cobalt-containing sulfide ores and concentrates, particularly relatively low grade cobalt bearing sulfide ores and concentrates.