Optimization of Zinc Recovery from Sphalerite Using Response Surface Methodology and Particle Swarm Optimization

Hydrometallurgical leaching process has been identified as a viable procedure for recovering metals of value from their matrices. The optimization zinc recovery sphalerite in nitric acid solution was carried out this study. Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) tool matlab were deployed the studies. RSM modeling gave optimum conditions 73.0 °C temperature, 3.48 M concentration, 0.027 g/mL solid/liquid ratio, 411.02 rpm stirring rate, 82.82 minutes time; with yield 87.67 %. With PSO, about 86.9 % recovered at temperature 69.1 °C, concentration 1.8 M, ratio 0.031 g/mL, rate 270 time 85 minutes. Thus, PSO proved to be good tools.