Extraction of zinc from the earth
Answers
Explanation:
A zinc mine is a mine that produces zinc minerals in ore as its primary product
Answer:
Zinc mining is the process by which mineral forms of the metal zinc are extracted from the earth through mining. A zinc mine is a mine that produces zinc minerals in ore as its primary product. Common co-products in zinc ores include minerals of lead and silver.
Explanation:
Zinc is extracted through carbon reduction of the ore Zinc blende (ZnS) ore by specially designed blast furnaces. Ore forms froth and comes to the surface, and impurities are left behind in water. Roasting - The concentrated ore is heated in a blast furnace at 900o C where Zinc sulphide is converted to Zinc oxide. The zinc mining process is conducted primarily underground, with more than 80 percent of all zinc extracted beneath the Earth’s surface. Eight percent of zinc is mined in open pits, with the remaining 12 percent being mined through both methods. Once it’s removed from the earth, the concentrate is roasted at a temperature of 950 degrees Celsius, causing zinc, sulfur and iron oxidization. After the zinc and iron oxides are reduced to powder form and leached with diluted sulfuric acid, the solution is neutralized and contaminants are removed via filtration. In the foundry, the zinc goes on to take its final form. From coatings to compounds, zinc is used in many areas of our lives. Whether it’s used in the home or an industry setting, zinc remains an important material. When high levels of zinc are present in soils, such as at a hazardous waste site, the metal can seep into the groundwater. Industries also can release dust containing higher levels of zinc into the air we breathe. Eventually, the zinc dust will settle out onto the soil and surface waters.