Selective Separation of Zinc and Iron and Characterization of Leaching Residues in the Oxalic Acid Leaching of Zinc Ferrite Powder

Hee-Seon Kim; Dae-Weon Kim; Yun-Ho Jin

doi:10.7844/kirr.2026.35.5.57

All Issue

2026 Vol.35, Issue 5 Preview Page Next Page

Research Paper

Selective Separation of Zinc and Iron and Characterization of Leaching Residues in the Oxalic Acid Leaching of Zinc Ferrite Powder 옥살산을 이용한 아연 페라이트 분말로부터 아연 및 철의 선택적 분리 및 침출 잔사 특성 평가

31 October 2026. pp. 57-64

PDF XML

Abstract

Zinc-bearing by-products contain zinc compounds in various forms, and studies have been conducted on the leaching and separation of zinc from these materials. In particular, the leaching and separation efficiencies of zinc from zinc-bearing by-products vary depending on the content of refractory zinc ferrite. Therefore, to maximize zinc recovery, it is essential to investigate the leaching behavior of zinc and iron from zinc ferrite. In this study, zinc ferrite reagent was used to investigate the leaching efficiencies of zinc and iron in oxalic acid as a function of reaction temperature and time, and to evaluate the characteristics of the recovered residues. At a reaction temperature of 100℃ and a reaction time of 160 min, the iron leaching efficiency reached approximately 99%, whereas only a small amount of zinc was leached, confirming that selective leaching was possible. The leaching residue recovered after the reaction was identified as crystalline ZnC₂O₄, and XRF analysis showed that zinc was the major component while the proportion of iron decreased. FE-SEM analysis also confirmed that the recovered leaching residues exhibited the typical angular morphology of oxalate particles.Consequently, zinc and iron were selectively separated and recovered from zinc ferrite, with zinc recovered in the solid phase and iron recovered in the liquid phase. These results are expected to provide fundamental data for the separation and recovery of zinc and iron from zinc-bearing by-products containing zinc ferrite powder.

Keywords

ZnFe₂O₄

Oxalic acid

Selective leaching

Zinc Oxalate

Zinc recovery

아연 함유 부산물은 다양한 형태의 아연 화합물로 존재하고 있으며, 이로부터 아연의 침출 및 분리를 위한 연구가 수행되고 있다. 특히 난용성인 아연 페라이트의 함량에 따라 아연 함유 부산물로부터 아연의 침출 및 분리 효율의 차이가 발생한다. 이에 아연을 최대한 회수하기 위해서 아연 페라이트로부터 아연 및 철의 침출 거동을 파악하는 연구가 필수적이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 아연 페라이트 시약을 활용하여 옥살산으로부터 반응 온도 및 시간에 따른 아연 및 철 성분의 침출율을 확인하고 회수된 잔사의 특성을 평가하고자 하였다. 최종적으로 반응 온도 100℃, 반응 시간 160분에서 철의 침출율은 약 99% 그리고 아연은 미량 침출되어 선택적 침출이 가능함을 확인하였다. 침출 후 회수된 침출 잔사의 경우 ZnC₂O₄ 결정상으로 확인되었으며, XRF 분석에서도 아연이 주성분으로 철 성분의 비율이 감소하였다. 또한, FE-SEM 분석 결과 회수된 침출 잔사는 전형적인 각진 옥살레이트 형상임을 확인하였다. 최종적으로 아연 페라이트로부터 아연은 고상, 철은 액상으로 선택적으로 분리 및 회수할 수 있었으며, 향후 아연 페라이트 분말이 함유된 아연 부산물로부터 아연 및 철 성분의 분리 및 회수에 관한 기초 자료로 활용할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

키워드

아연 페라이트

옥살산

선택적 침출

아연 옥살레이트

아연 회수

References

Rostek, L., Pirard, E., Loibl, A., 2023 : The future availability of zinc: Potential contributions from recycling and necessary ones from mining, Resour. Conserv. Recycl. Adv., 19, 200166.

10.1016/j.rcradv.2023.200166

Kania, H., Saternus, M., 2023 : Evaluation and current state of primary and secondary zinc production—a review, Appl. Sci., 13, 2003.

10.3390/app13032003

Xue, Y., Hao, X., Liu, X., et al., 2022 : Recovery of zinc and iron from steel mill dust—An overview of available technologies, Materials, 15, 4127.

10.3390/ma1512412735744185PMC9228750

Al-Harahsheh, M., Al-Nuairat, J., Al-Otoom, A., et al., 2019 : Treatments of electric arc furnace dust and halogenated plastic wastes: A review, J. Environ. Chem. Eng., 7, 102856.

10.1016/j.jece.2018.102856

Kim, H. S., Sim, S. H., Jin, Y. H., et al., 2025 : Production of high-purity zinc oxide from zinc fuming dust via dry reduction and wet leaching processes, Korean J. Met. Mater., 63(11), pp.896-904.

10.3365/KJMM.2025.63.11.896

Leclerc, N., Meux, E., Lecuire, J.-M., 2002 : Hydrometallurgical recovery of zinc and lead from electric arc furnace dust using mononitrilotriacetate anion and hexahydrated ferric chloride, J. Hazard. Mater., 91, pp.257-270.

10.1016/S0304-3894(01)00394-6

Oustadakis, P., Tsakiridis, P. E., Katsiapi, A., et al., 2010 : Hydrometallurgical process for zinc recovery from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD): Part I. Characterization and leaching by diluted sulphuric acid, J. Hazard. Mater., 179, pp.1-7.

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.01.059

Gamutan, J., Koide, S., Sasaki, Y., et al., 2024 : Selective dissolution and kinetics of leaching zinc from lime treated electric arc furnace dust by alkaline media, J. Environ. Chem. Eng., 12, 111789.

10.1016/j.jece.2023.111789

Leclerc, N., Meux, E., Lecuire, J.-M., 2003 : Hydrometallurgical extraction of zinc from zinc ferrites, Hydrometallurgy, 70, pp.175-183.

10.1016/S0304-386X(03)00079-3

Langová, Š., Leško, J., Matýsek, D., 2009 : Selective leaching of zinc from zinc ferrite with hydrochloric acid, Hydrometallurgy, 95, pp.179-182.

10.1016/j.hydromet.2008.05.040

Zhao, Y., Stanforth, R., 2000 : Extraction of zinc from zinc ferrites by fusion with caustic soda, Miner. Eng., 13, pp.1417-1421.

10.1016/S0892-6875(00)00123-0

Brunelli, K., Dabala, M., 2015 : Ultrasound effects on zinc recovery from EAF dust by sulfuric acid leaching, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 22(4), pp.353-362.

10.1007/s12613-015-1080-4

Bui, A.-H., Vu, T.-L., Nguyen, V.-T., 2022 : Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles from electric arc furnace dust, J. Min. Metall. Sect. B-Metall., 58(2), pp.253-260.

10.2298/JMMB211029008B

Borda, J., Torres, R., 2021 : Comparative study of selective zinc leaching from EAFD using carboxylic agents, Rev. Mex. Ing. Quim., 20(1), pp.389-398.

10.24275/rmiq/IA2022

Zhang, D., Ling, H., Yang, T., et al., 2019 : Selective leaching of zinc from electric arc furnace dust by a hydrothermal reduction method in a sodium hydroxide system, J. Clean. Prod., 224, pp.536-544.

10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.149

Wang, H. G., Li, Y., Gao, J. M., et al., 2016 : A novel hydrothermal method for zinc extraction and separation from zinc ferrite and electric arc furnace dust, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 23, pp.146-155.

10.1007/s12613-016-1221-4

Kim, H. S., Kim, D. W., Jang, D. H., 2022 : A study on the leaching effect and selective recovery of lithium element by persulfate-based oxidizing agents from waste LiFePO₄ cathode, Resour. Recycl., 31(4), pp.40-48.

10.7844/kirr.2022.31.4.40

Kim, D. W., Kim, H. S., 2023 : Efficient selective recovery of lithium from waste LiFePO₄ cathode materials using low concentration sulfuric solution and 2-step leaching method, Clean Technol., 29(2), pp.87-94.

Kim, H. S., Jin, Y. H., Kim, S. W., et al., 2026 : A study on the complex formation and selective separation of zinc and iron according to oxalic acid concentration from zinc fuming dust, Clean Technol., 32(2), pp.137-145.

Panias, D., Taxiarchou, M., Douni, I., et al., 1996 : Thermodynamic analysis of the reactions of iron oxides: Dissolution in oxalic acid, Can. Metall. Q., 35(4), pp.363-373.

10.1179/000844396109608642

Lee, S. O., Tran, T., Park, Y. Y., et al., 2006 : Study on the kinetics of iron oxide leaching by oxalic acid, Int. J. Miner. Process., 80(2-4), pp.144-152.

10.1016/j.minpro.2006.03.012

Verma, A., Kore, R., Corbin, D. R., et al., 2019 : Metal recovery using oxalate chemistry: A technical review, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 58(34), pp.15381-15393.

10.1021/acs.iecr.9b02598

Jin, Y. H., Hwang, S. H., Dar, M. A., et al., 2025 : Recycling Nd magnet scraps to synthesize carbon-swaddled Fe₃O₄ anode material for lithium-ion battery, Int. J. Energy Res., 2025(1), 3361478.

10.1155/er/3361478

Information

Publisher :The Korean Institute of Resources Recycling
Publisher(Ko) :한국자원리싸이클링학회
Journal Title :Resources Recycling
Journal Title(Ko) :자원리싸이클링
Volume : 35
No :5
Pages :57-64
Received Date : 2026-06-16
Revised Date : 2026-08-20; 2026-10-12
Accepted Date : 2026-10-12
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7844/kirr.2026.35.5.57

Resources Recycling ISSN:2765-3439(Print) 2765-3447(Online) 자원리싸이클링

All Issue