An integrated hydrometallurgical process for the production of zinc and lead concentrates from lean oxidized zinc ores by alkaline leaching, followed by two-step sulfide precipitation of lead and zinc sulfides, is developed. The lean zinc oxidized ore was firstly ground to a size below 0.2 mm, followed by alkaline leaching at 90 °C for 120 min in NaOH solution, in which both zinc and lead are effectively extracted. Lead concentrates were then highly selectively and quantitatively produced from the leach solution by adding sodium sulfide as precipitant. Zinc concentrates were obtained in th...
