Zinc concentrate drying lowers the moisture of sphalerite flotation cake for shipment, roasting or direct smelting. Because it is a sulphide, the concentrate can self-heat and release sulphur dioxide if overheated, so temperature control and gas handling are as important as evaporation capacity.
To dry zinc concentrate, GEM recommends the Rotary Dryer. Typical moisture is 8–12% in the feed and 8–10% (shipping, roaster feed); below 1% (direct smelting) after drying. Rotary Tube Bundle Dryer and Flash Dryer are used when the feed or site calls for it. Every project starts with a pilot trial on your own sample.
A co-current direct rotary dryer at moderate temperatures dries zinc concentrate for roasting and shipping while keeping product temperature low. A steam tube dryer is chosen for very low-moisture smelter feed with minimal gas volume; a flash dryer suits fine cake at short contact times.
| Typical feed moisture | 8–12% |
| Typical target moisture | 8–10% (shipping, roaster feed); below 1% (direct smelting) |
| Recommended dryer | Rotary Dryer |
| Alternatives | Rotary Tube Bundle Dryer, Flash Dryer |
| Application area | Minerals, Ores & Ceramics |
| Industries | Minerals, Mining & Ceramics |
Lower moisture reduces freight and helps cargoes meet transportable moisture limits. At the smelter, dry feed stabilises roaster and furnace operation and reduces energy spent evaporating water at high temperature.
Plants searching for a zinc concentrate dryer or comparing a sulphide concentrate drying usually need three answers: which dryer fits, what it costs to run, and how fast it pays back. For Zinc Concentrate, we start from your throughput, current moisture (typically 8–12%) and the target (8–10% (shipping, roaster feed); below 1% (direct smelting)), trial a sample on the Rotary Dryer, and return a sized recommendation with a budget quotation for your minerals operation.
We trial your material in our pilot facility before any equipment decision, then size the dryer from real data.
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