To the question of studying the dissolution rate of zinc ferrite using the rotating disk method

Flotation processing of copper smelting slag results in the formation of flotation tailings containing approximately 0.5 % copper and 4 % zinc, which are present in primary and secondary mineral compounds. Accumulated volumes of these wastes in Russia range from 120 to 140 million tons. Copper and zinc in the tailings are found in ferrites as separate mineral phases. This material can serve as a raw material for the extraction of copper and zinc. One of the components of this raw material, zinc ferrite, was investigated for its dissolution rate using the rotating disk method. To do this, zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) was synthesized using ceramic technology. The sample was characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The obtained ferrites were compressed into tablets and fixed in a Teflon holder for experiments. The kinetics of zinc ferrite dissolution in an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid were studied in the concentration range of 7 to 300 g/dm3, at temperatures of 25, 45, and 65 °С (298, 318, and 338 K), and under hydrodynamic conditions. Activation energies were calculated using the Arrhenius equation, and experimental rate constants were determined. A conclusion was drawn regarding the kinetic regime of zinc ferrite dissolution.