Warner zinc process

P.M.J. Gray, The Warner Zinc Process , World Zinc 93. LG. Matthew, Ed., The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Melbourne, Australia, 1993,483-489. 

Warner A novel process for extracting zinc from sulfide ores. Two linked furnaces are used. In the first, the ore is reacted with metallic copper ... 

The molten copper is circulated back to the first furnace. The sulfur dioxide is converted to sulfuric acid for sale. Overall, the process uses much less energy than other zinc extraction processes. Developed in the 1980s by N.A. Warner at the University of Birmingham, UK, but not piloted as of 1992. 

There have been many theoretical determinations of the rates of distillation under vacuum, but none that appeared to be applicable to vacuum dezincing when its development was commenced at Port Pirie in 1946. Thus it was felt to be desirable to develop the theoretical side (37) simultaneously with the practical development, as a guide to understanding and possible later application to optimising of the process. Figure 7 illustrates the concept of the distillation process which was developed. It was necessary to discard some faulty ideas or misconceptions, which derived fix>m implicit notions associated with equilibrium, but not kinetic conditions. Carman (38), for example, assumed that the partial pressure of the vapour of the condensing species is equal to its partial pressure in the condenser. It is not, unless the condensation rate is zero. Richardson (6) assumed that the measured vacuum is equal to the distilling species, which it is not, but is instead the partial pressure of the inert atmosphere. Warner (40) assumed the partial pressure of zinc to be constant across the distillation space, which is not correct unless the distillation rate is zero. 

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