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Hydrometallurgical Recovery of Zinc from By-Products and Waste Materials of Hot-Dip Galvanizing Process

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Recycling Technologies for Secondary Zn-Pb Resources

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Abstract

Like other industrial processes, hot-dip galvanizing of steel generates some by-products and wastes. Secondary materials contain a relatively high percentage of zinc being valuable sources of the metal. Solid by-products like zinc ash, bottom dross, and top dross are currently sold to pyrometallurgical recycling plants, although zinc ash consisting of easy leachable components is suitable for hydrometallurgical treatment. In turn, flux skimming is deposited in landfills for hazardous wastes, but it could be leached for zinc recovery. Waste aqueous solutions from pretreatment steps, such as spent baths from pickling, stripping, and fluxing, or washing waters can be also regenerated by hydrometallurgical methods instead of going to landfills. This chapter presents the characteristics of main secondary raw materials originating from hot-dip galvanizing lines and reviews hydrometallurgical methods developed for their recycling or regeneration.

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Abbreviations

EPT:

Emulsion pertraction technology

Mt:

Million ton

NDSX:

Non-dispersive solvent extraction

ppm:

Part per million

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

S/L:

Solid to liquid ratio

ΔGfo:

Standard Gibbs free energy of formation (25 °C)

ΔGro:

Standard free energy change of reaction (25 °C)

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  1. Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland

    Ewa Rudnik

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    Muammer Kaya

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Rudnik, E. (2023). Hydrometallurgical Recovery of Zinc from By-Products and Waste Materials of Hot-Dip Galvanizing Process. In: Kaya, M. (eds) Recycling Technologies for Secondary Zn-Pb Resources. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14685-5_6

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