Effects of mechanical activation on physicochemical properties and alkaline leaching of hemimorphite

Effects of mechanical activation on physicochemical properties and alkaline leaching of hemimorphite from Lanping, Yunnan province were studied. The results showed that both dry milling and mechano-chemical milling could enhance zinc extraction rate and shorten the leaching time. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), particle size distribution (PSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated that different milling times and modes could form different morphologies, particle size distributions and crystal structures, thus influence zinc recovery differently.