Dissolution kinetics of smithsonite in boric acid solutions

The dissolution of smithsonite in boric acid solutions was investigated. The influence of the reaction temperature, acid concentration, solid-to-liquid ratio, particle size and stirring speed on the zinc extraction were determined in the experiments. The results show that the dissolution rate increases with increasing acid concentration and reaction temperature, and with decreasing particle size and solid-to-liquid ratio. The dissolution results were analyzed by reaction control models. The activation energy of smithsonite in boric acid solution was also calculated.