Extraction of metals from a zinc smelting slag using two-step procedure combining acid and ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid disodium

A two-step leaching method in combination of acid and ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA-Na-2) was applied to extract metals such as Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn from a zinc smelting slag. The results show that the extraction rates of Cd, Cu, Fe and Zn in slag reach 88.3%, 54.1%, 69.6% and 54.7%, respectively, while the extraction rate of Pb is only 0.05% leached with 1.25 mol/L sulfuric acid under the conditions of the ratio of slag to liquid of 100 g/L, 65 A degrees C and 120 r/min for 2 h. However, Pb extraction rate from 1.25 mol/L sulfuric acid leached residue reaches as high as 66.5% by using 0.1 mol/L EDTA-Na-2 solution. The results indicate that two-step sequential extraction procedure combining 1.25 mol/L sulfuric acid and 0.1 mol/L EDTA-Na-2 solution can extensively extract Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn from zinc smelting slag.