Recovering metals from Red mud by thermal treatment and magnetic separation

This paper deals with an alternative treatment for recovering metals from goethite red mud (RM), which occurs as a by-product at zinc leaching plants. It is derived from the hydrometallurgical treatment of sphalerite, which involves roasting followed by acid attack and subsequent recovery of the zinc by electrodeposition. The leaching mud contains various oxides and hydroxides of iron plus lesser amounts of sulfates of Pb, Zn, Ca, Cd, Ag, In, Se, and other metals. In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to recover the RM or render it inert, particularly by such processes as vitrification or lithification for the production of glass ceramics. The work reported here proposes a treatment involving reduction and magnetic separation to permit the extraction of pure zinc, a high percentage of a pure magnetite, and a harmless slag containing mixed silicates of zinc and lead as well as oxides of minor elements.