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hydrometallurgy
ELSEVIER Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70

Zinc pressure leaching at Cominco

W.A. Jankola
Cominco Ltd., Trail Operations, Trail, B.C., V1R 4L8, Canada

Accepted 27 June 1995

1. Introduction

The zinc pressure leach plant at Cominco's Trail Operations is now in its fourteenth year
of operation. The plant has treated numerous zinc concentrates including those from the
Red Dog mine in Alaska, but the main source continues to be Cominco's Sullivan Mine
located in Kimberley, B.C. The products from the plant include a zinc sulphate and jarosite
slurry which is further processed in the calcine leaching circuit, and elemental sulphur which
is sold in North America. Unreacted zinc sulphide is separated from the molten sulphur and
recycled to the zinc roasters for recovery of the zinc values.
Commissioned in early 1981, the zinc pressure leach plant includes a single autoclave
designed to treat 188 tonnes per day (t/d) of zinc concentrates from the Sullivan mine.
With 97% zinc extraction, the plant was to produce 88 t/d of soluble zinc and 54 t/d of
elemental sulphur. Previous papers [ 1-5] have described the process in detail and docu-
mented the experiences through commissioning and the first eight years of operation. During
this period, numerous changes were made to the plant to remove known production bottle-
necks and to improve leaching extraction. These changes have resulted in production rates
which constantly exceed the design criteria, and the plant currently accounts for approxi-
mately 20% of Trail's zinc production.

2. Cominco's zinc operations

The zinc pressure leach plant is one of three feed plants for the zinc process at Cominco's
Trail Operations. The main source of zinc (approximately 70%) comes from the zinc
roasters. The zinc pressure leach plant accounts for 20%, while the oxide leach plant accounts
for the remaining 10%. The product from each of these plants forms the feed for the main
leaching plant, the sulphide leach plant, as shown in Fig. 1. In this plant, the zinc sulphate
solution is purified, first by iron purification, and then by zinc dust purification. The iron-
lead residue (containing the jarosites from zinc pressure leach) is separated from the zinc

0304-386X/95/$09.50 © 1995 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

SSDI0304-386X(95)00045-3
64 W.A. Jankola /Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70

Acid ~ Sulphur Products

I I n"n /
[ S°adste rs I -/ iron-Lead
I I [ ~ residue to
~. ,~ | | Smelter
/_.Inc.. | r - - - - - - -~ - - " ~ Elemental Sulphur |
,_oncen,ranon • I /
[ Zinc [ ~ Sulphide [ . . . J ] Electrolytic
[ Pressure | ~ Leach ~ ~, &
[Leach [ ~ Plant ~ I Melting Plants
~ • | t | Return Acid ]
vxygen -[-" -- -- -- ]- . . . . ~ ......... Zinc
'f I T
I Oxide I I I ~ • • /
I Leacn-
" I ~1 t.aanuum / ~ . . Cadium
I Plant I I Plant r

Dehalogeneted ~ I Germaniuml&ndium~ Indium

Zinc Oxide r[ P l a n t s , Germanium Dioxide

Fig. 1. Zinc pressure leach at Cominco's Trail Operations.

sulphate slurry in thickeners, and is then washed and filtered before being transferred to the
lead smelter for further metal recovery. The purified zinc sulphate solution is pumped to
the electrolytic plant, where the zinc is electrowon from the electrolyte. The zinc-depleted
spent electrolyte (return acid) is pumped back to the leaching plants.

3. Zinc pressure leaching

3.1. Overview

Cominco's zinc pressure leach flowsheet is essentially the same as that reported in
previous papers [ 4,5 ]. A general flowsheet of the plant is shown in Fig. 2. Zinc concentrate
is prepared for leaching by grinding it in a ball mill which is in a closed circuit with a set
of hydrocyclones. The fine concentrate in the hydrocyclone overflow is thickened in a 12.7
rn diameter thickener. The thickened slurry is transferred to an agitated storage tank into
which lignin sulphonate (goulac) is added. This prepared feed slurry is pumped into a four
compartment autoclave, 3.7 m in diameter and 15.2 m long, at a controlled rate.
Feed acid (return acid fortified with concentrated sulphuric acid) is preheated in a shell
and tube heat exchanger before being added to the autoclave. Steam, from the flash letdown
of the autoclave product slurry is used to preheat this acid stream.
Oxygen, the final required ingredient, is sparged into the first three compartments of the
autoclave and maintains the vessel at its operating pressure of 1250 kPa. A small continuous
purge of the vapour from the autoclave prevents the buildup of any inert gases inside the
vessel.
 W.A. Jankola / Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70 65

Vent
lAgnin Vapourpurge Feed Acid
Feed sulphonate t
Concentrates
Ballmill
Flash tank

tank - I I S [ - - - -{] lphur

~1 Classification ,Separation

+
Oxygen

Sulphur ~
~ ~ Product
Polishing ImpurePit ZincSulphate
Fflt Sulphure &Slurry
Jarosite
Residueto ~ [ l. SulphurProduct
Roaster Polish I
SulphurPitI

Fig. 2. Generalflowsheetof Cominco'szincpressureleachplant.

The autoclave's product slurry is at approximately 150°C and contains zinc sulphate,
jarosites and molten elemental sulphur. This slurry is discharged from the autoclave through
ceramic-lined letdown valves and into the flash tank which operates at 55 kPa and 117°C.
The slurry advances to the conditioning tank where the sticky amorphous sulphur has
sufficient time to convert to the monoclinic form.
Once conditioned, the slurry passes to the sulphur separation step. Here, the slurry is
pumped through a hydrocyclone to produce a sulphur rich and a sulphur depleted stream.
Both streams enter a flotation circuit (which will be described later) where two main
products are formed. The main product, the flotation tails, contains the zinc sulphate solution
and jarosites, and is subsequently pumped to the front end of the sulphide leaching plant.
The second product, the flotation concentrate, contains the elemental sulphur and the
unreacted zinc sulphides. This product is dewatered and melted in the impure sulphur pit.
The impure sulphur is filtered to yield a saleable polished sulphur product ( > 99.9% purity)
and a filter cake containing the unreacted sulphides which is recycled back to the Lurgi
roasters.
3.2. Process alterations

In 1989, alterations were made to the zinc concentrate classification circuit. A second set
of hydrocyclones was added in series with the existing cyclopac installation in an attempt
66 W.A. Jankola / Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70

Conditioning
overflowtank Zincsulphate&jarositeslurry
/ /
I I - -I \ ~ I Leaching
TocalcinePlant
~ Hydrocyclones ! eC~r
il000m~tank)
Rou~~ern~ g ~ F ~ l ~Snavc otatio

Sulphurconcentrate

[ fj i~ To dewatering
filter

Fig.3.Zincpressureleachsulphurrecovery--1989.
to further improve the grind of the feed slurry. Commissioned in mid-1989, the circuit
proved to be difficult to keep operational and was decommissioned, returning the grinding
circuit to its original configuration. Improved grinding at the Sullivan Concentrator has
lessened the need for this additional classification step at the pressure leach plant. Today,
with the single stage of hydrocyclones, the grind feeding the autoclave is approximately
93% minus 44 microns at a feedrate of approximately 400 t/d of concentrates.
A second change to the process was the result of the failure of the cold feed acid line to
the autoclave. Instead of replacing this line, preheated acid is used where the cold acid was
formerly added.
The final change to the process has occurred in the sulphur recovery area. As shown in
Fig. 3, the main separation of elemental sulphur from the zinc sulphate and jarosite slurry
was through the use of a hydrocyclone. The overflow from the hydrocyclone, containing
up to 0.5 g/1 of elemental sulphur, became the feed to the sulphide leach plant and met the
needs of the zinc circuit. However, as the production rate in zinc pressure leach was
increased, the elemental sulphur, which deported to the iron-lead residues from the zinc
plant to the lead smelter, was too high in concentration to allow good sinter production.
This led to changes in the arrangement of the flotation ceils in the plant.
Until 1989, the underflows from the hydrocyclones were processed through two sets of
2.8-m 3 Denver No. 30 DR cells--the first set acted as roughers, and the second set as
scavengers. The scavenger concentrate was recycled back into the roughers, and the rougher
concentrate was treated in a set of similar cells which were used as cleaners. In 1990, plans
 W.A. Jankola / Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70 67

Conditioning tank
overflow Zinc sulphate & iarosite slurry
To calcine
leaching plant
J Hydrocyclones ( 1000 m3 tank )

, Scavenger flotation

Rougherflotation~ ' ~ ~

Cleaner flotation~ , l (7

Sulphur concentrate[ Filerate from

dewatering filter

\1o To dewatering
filter

Fig. 4. Zincpressureleachsulphurrecovery--1990.

were made to treat the hydrocyclone overflow in the scavenger cells, and the circuit was
altered as shown in Fig. 4. This change lowered the elemental sulphur content of the zinc
sulphate and jarosite slurry to approximately 0.3 g/l.

3oo

el
"~ 25o

200 -- - _/
1981 1982 1983 1984 198,51986 195'/19881989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
Year

Fig. 5. Concentratestreatedin ZincPressureLeach(tonne/operatingday)

68 W.A. Jankola / Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70

Acid Preheater
16.~% D i s c h a r g e Line

20.9% Other
21.7%

Fig. 6. Zinc Pressure Leach Downtime Analysis - Last Half of 1994.

3.3. Production capacity

Since 1984, the zinc pressure leach plant has achieved production rates in excess of the
original design capacity. Experience through to 1988 has been reported previously [ 5 ], and
at that time, the outlook for future production was good. In 1989, the plant achieved a new
record level of production, treating more than 111 000 tonnes of concentrates. In 1990,
rates dipped slightly while testing various combinations of concentrates.
The 1991-1993 period saw the plant continually restricted by the downstream leaching
plant which had undergone a major construction program [ 6]. As the reliability of the new
process improved, so did the production rates in zinc pressure leach. In 1994, rates were
back to the levels achieved in the 1988-1989 period, and the plant processed a record of
more than 117,000 tonnes of concentrates over the year, and achieved the best single month
of production by treating more than 11,300 tonnes of concentrates. However, the highest
levels of production for a single day or seven-day period are still those reported for 1988
and 1989 [5]. The main reason for the difference in plant production today has been on-
line time.

3.4. On-line time

In 1988, the on-line availability for zinc pressure leach averaged 79% (including a seven-
day extension of the maintenance shutdown for an examination of the autoclave's lead
lining). In 1989 this on-line availability rose to approximately 86%. Improvements have
continued and the on-line availability in 1993 and 1994 averaged between 90 and 91%. The
current focus is to improve the plant on-line availability even more.
The main source of downtime in zinc pressure leach today is the fouling of the autoclave
dip-pipe and discharge line. Many options for the removal of the dip-pipe have been
explored, but none addresses all of the concerns.
In 1989, the main condenser accounted for 30% of the downtime and was the main cause.
Today it accounts for about 16% and its effect will be further reduced through process
improvements to be completed this year.
 W.A. Jankola / Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70 69

The third major source of downtime in 1989, downstream plant restrictions, remains the
third major cause today and now accounts for approximately 21% of the plant's downtime.
Improved interplant communications are expected to improve this result.

3.5. Plant throughput

Recovery of elemental sulphur from the jarosite slurry has long been a challenge for zinc
pressure leaching. This sulphur does not pose any difficulties to the zinc circuit, but does in
the lead plant (Fig. 1) and needs to be controlled in the zinc pressure leach plant. Changes
to the flotation circuit in 1989 (Fig. 3) resulted in improved sulphur recovery from the
jarosite slurry, but also resulted in more jarosite reporting to the sulphur concentrate. The
increased jarosite in this concentrate has reduced the plant's ability to dewater and melt the
impure sulphur. These restrictions have identified the need for additional flotation or sulphur
dewatering capabilities in order to increase plant throughput. As the plant rate is increased,
the recovery of elemental sulphur from the jarosite slurry must also increase because of the
difficulties encountered in processing the iron-lead residues in the smelter. The current
recovery of elemental sulphur from the jarosite slurry exceeds 99%. Additional flotation
units will be installed in zinc pressure leaching later this year.

3.6. Plant feeds

Over the past 5 years, a number of concentrates were tested in zinc pressure leach with
varying results. The low iron content of some of these concentrates was a concern, and the
need for an iron supplement was mandatory. However, the size distribution of some con-
centrates was very favourable for pressure leaching: over 97% was finer than 44/zm as
compared with 93% in Sullivan zinc concentrate.
From late 1989 until the current time, several opportunities arose in which the plant could
treat test blends of concentrates--using Sullivan zinc concentrate as the source of iron.
Concentrates were blended using a 980 Caterpillar ~loader working on a pad (the plant has
no system for blending concentrates). Blends tested contained up to 50% alternate concen-
trates, and the feedrate was varied up to approximately 375 tonnes/day. Results from these
periods indicated that the zinc extraction from the blended concentrates was variable to that
experienced for Sullivan alone, although some blends maintained zinc extraction at approx-
imately 96.5%. These extraction rates were substantiated by the volume of filter cake
produced by the molten sulphur filter (increases in cake production are indicative of lower
zinc extraction). The results of these tests are encouraging and more tests are planned.
A challenge while treating some blends of concentrate was a drop in the recovery of
elemental sulphur from the jarosite slurry. Examination of the sulphur particles indicated
that these concentrates produced a finer size distribution of elemental sulphur, and this fine
sulphur ( less than 20 microns) was responsible for the drop in the overall recovery. Attempts
to alter the size distribution by varying the addition rate of lignosol to the leach were
unsuccessful. Changes to the flotation circuit discussed earlier are expected to improve the

Caterpillar is a registered trade-mark of Caterpillar Inc.

70 W.A. Jankola / Hydrometallurgy 39 (1995) 63-70

recovery of this finer fraction of elemental sulphur. Once installed, testing of alternate
concentrates through zinc pressure leach is expected to resume.

4. Zinc pressure leaching--Future

When the zinc pressure leach plant was first built in Trail, it was designed to house a
second autoclave. Over the years, the need for the second autoclave was diminished by the
improvements made to the process and by its reliability. Various options for a second
autoclave have been explored over the past six years, as has the eventual treatment of
concentrates other than those from the Sullivan Mine. As the age of the current autoclave
increases, and production at the Sullivan Mine approaches its end, a second autoclave is
expected to be installed by the end of the decade. With the knowledge gained over the years
in treating Sullivan zinc concentrates, and the current tests in treating Red Dog concentrates,
the future for zinc pressure leach in C o m i n c o ' s Zinc Operations looks promising.

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the management of Cominco Ltd. for permission to publish this paper
and to all who provided useful guidance and suggestions.

References

[ 1] Parker, E.G., Romanchuk, S., Pilot plant demonstration of zinc sulphide pressure leaching. In: J.M. Cigan,
T.S. Mackey and T.J. O'Keefe (Editors), Lead-Zinc-Tin '80 Symp. AIME, New York, N.Y., pp. 407-425
(1979).
[2 ] Parker, E.G., Oxidation pressure leaching of zinc concentrates. CIM Bull., 74 ( May): 145-150 ( 1981).
[3] Parker, E.G., McKay, D.R., Salomon-de-Friedberg,H., Zinc pressure leaching at Cominco's Trail Operation.
Proc. 3rd Int. Symp. Hydrometallurgy--112th AIME Annu. Meet., Atlanta, Georgia, March, pp. 927-940
(1983).
[4] Jankola, W.A., Martin, M.T., Cominco's Trail zinc pressure leaching operation.CIM Bull., 78(Apr.): 77-81
(1985).
[5] Ashman, D.W., Jankola, W.A., Recent experience with zinc pressure leaching at Cominco. In: T.S. Mackey
and R.D. Prengaman (Edtors), Lead-Zinc '90. TMS, Warrendale, Pa.,pp. 53-275 (1990).
[6] Ashman, D.W., Delong, O.J., Jankola, W.A., Silica control during zinc calcine leaching at Cominco's Trail
Operations. Proc. Int. Symp.--World Zinc '93, Hobart, Tasm., pp. 217-225.