Abstract:As an important secondary resource of the iron and steel industry, blast furnace smeltingdust is rich in valuable metals such as zinc and also contains potentially toxic elements. Its efficient andclean recycling is economically valuable and contributes to environmental protection. Hydrometallurgyhas become a research hotspot in the field of dust recycling due to its operational flexibility, highselectivity, low energy consumption, and environmental compatibility. This paper reviews the researchprogress in zinc leaching technology, systematically analyzes the process characteristics and mainbottlenecks of acid, alkaline, and ammonia leaching methods, discusses the innovative approaches suchEnergy Environmental Protectionas physical field enhancement and process coupling, and anticipates future directions for technologydevelopment. The results show that the efficiency of acid leaching of zinc can reach 80% − 95%, but ithas poor adaptability to highly alkaline and silica-alumina-rich materials, and is often accompanied bythe co-solubilization of impurities such as Fe and Al, which increase the difficulty of subsequentpurification. The alkali method exhibits excellent selectivity for zinc oxide. However, its leaching ratestability is system-dependent, and its capacity for amphoteric metals is limited. Additionally, equipmentcorrosion remains a challenge. The ammonia method achieves high selectivity through the formation ofzinc-ammonia complexes, with a leaching rate of 85% − 92%, and the dissolution rate of impurityelements such as Fe and Al is below 5%. However, challenges related to ammonia evaporation loss andthe complexity of its recycling and reuse limit its application prospects. In recent years, physical fieldenhancement technologies (e.g., ultrasonic, microwave, and electric fields) have effectively improvedzinc leaching efficiency by modulating reaction kinetics and optimizing mineral phase transformations.For example, ultrasonic cavitation enhances interfacial mass transfer through mechanical vibration andcavitation effects, significantly shortening the reaction time. The magnetic field promotes thetransformation of ferromagnetic mineral phases, enhancing the selective release of valuable metals. Theelectric field guides electron migration, enabling the preferential dissolution of specific metals. Inaddition, the combined use of innovative processes such as multi-stage countercurrent leaching andionic liquid extraction has enhanced both the recovery rate and purity of zinc. However, technicalchallenges remain, such as the complex chemical speciation of zinc in dust (e.g., iron zincate, zincsilicate) and the need for optimizing system energy efficiency. In the future, efforts should integrate thedesign of mineral phase reconstruction with the development of green leaching agents. A closed-looprecycling process should be established, along with the construction of a multi-technology synergy andintelligent control system. These efforts aim to achieve high efficiency, low carbon emissions, andeconomic upgrading of hydrometallurgy, while promoting the resource utilization and sustainabledevelopment of metallurgical solid waste. Ultimately, this will help achieve the synergistic goals of minimization, resource recovery, and harmlessness. Close-