One important step in zinc hydrometallurgy is the leaching process, which involves the dissolving of zinc-bearing material in dilute sulfuric acid to form zinc sulfate solution. The key problem in the process control is to determine the optimal pHs of the overflows of the continuous leaches and track them. An expert control system for the leaching process was designed to solve the key problem. A methodology is proposed for determining and tracking the optimal pHs with an expert control strategy based on a combination of steady-state mathematical models and rule models of the process.