Question

How do you remove zinc out of the earth?

Answer 1

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.