Hydrometallurgical Processing of Jarosite Residues
Summary
Jarosite residues are by-products of zinc hydrometallurgy in which iron is removed from leach liquors by precipitation of jarosite-type sulphates. These residues incorporate base metals and hazardous elements, creating complex solids that require careful management. Hydrometallurgical processing aims to dissolve target metals selectively, separate them from iron and sulphur matrices, and immobilise contaminants. Core steps include leaching under controlled pH and redox conditions, followed by solvent extraction, ion exchange or selective precipitation to recover zinc, copper and precious metals. Recent advances in reactor design, reagent formulation and process control have enhanced metal yields, reduced reagent consumption and lowered residual toxicity, underpinning a more sustainable approach to jarosite waste treatment.
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Hydrometallurgical Processing of Jarosite Residues publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in hydrometallurgical processing of jarosite residues across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Jarosite residues: Solid sulphate precipitates formed during iron removal in zinc hydrometallurgy, containing iron, sulphur and co-precipitated metals.
Hydrometallurgy: A branch of extractive metallurgy involving aqueous chemistry to dissolve, separate and recover metals from ores or residues.
Leaching: The process of extracting soluble constituents from a solid by contact with a liquid solvent, often acid or alkali.
Precipitation: The conversion of dissolved species into an insoluble solid, typically by adjusting pH or redox conditions.
Solid solution: A homogeneous crystalline phase in which different ions substitute into lattice sites without altering the overall structure.
References
- Jarosites: Formation, Structure, Reactivity and Environmental. Metals (2022).
- Use of Thermally Modified Jarosite for the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium by Adsorption. Crystals (2022).
- Effects of Operational Parameters on the Low Contaminant Jarosite Precipitation Process-an Industrial Scale Study. Materials (2020).
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