Study on ultrasonic assisted intensive leaching of germanium from germanium concentrate using HCl/NaOCl

Ultrasonic radiation is widely used in the enhancement of leaching process with outstanding advantages in leaching efficiency. In this study, a germanium concentrate was leached with NaClO and the influence of factors such as ultrasound power and oxidant addition on the leaching efficiency of germanium from the concentrate were investigated. The leaching efficiency of germanium reached 96.8% at the initial concentration of hydrochloric acid of 8 mol/L, the oxidant dosage of 1.5 g/L NaClO, the liquid-solid volume/mass ratio of 6 mL/g, the ultrasonic power density of 13.3 W/cm³, and the stirring speed of 300 rpm for 30 min at 60 °C. The leaching efficiency was 4.50% higher at a shorter leaching time and lower temperature, than that of the conventional process, which was mainly attributed to the ultrasonic multiple effects and NaClO. Meanwhile, NaClO can effectively oxidize As(III) into non-volatile As(V), remove arsenic in germanium, facilitate the subsequent distillation, improve the leaching efficiency, and be more environmentally friendly.