Determination of the chemical and material composition of dross generated during the melting of zinc cathodes

This study examines the chemical and oxide composition of zinc dross formed during the melting of zinc cathodes at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The results show that the dross is mainly composed of zinc (up to 90.2 wt.%) and zinc oxide (ZnO, 93.3 wt.% in oxide form), along with minor amounts of S, Cl, Fe, Mn, Si, and Ca compounds. The presence of iron and other metal oxides suggests the formation of complex phases such as zinc ferrite, which can influence hydrometallurgical processing efficiency. Overall, zinc dross is confirmed as a valuable secondary raw material with high potential for zinc recovery through pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical methods.