The sulfuric acid leaching process of tailings by using microwave was studied in this paper. The effects of sulfuric acid concentration, liquid to solid ratio and reaction time on the leaching ratio were also investigated. Without agitation, the optimum microwave heating conditions of sulfuric acid concentration 5.0 mol/L and liquid/solid ratio 5.0 mL/g are superior to those of water bathing heating. In addition, microwave heating for 15 man can yield the same effect as that of water bathing heating for 2--3 h. In addition, microwave heating for 1/6 reaction time of water bathing time can produce the same acid-leaching rate, with much lower sulfuric acid and liquid to solid ratio. The microwave heating of railings for some time followed by addition of sulfuric acid for leaching can be helpful to the dissolution of tailings and enhance the acid-leaching rate. Under the conditions of microwave heating of 1 h, sul- furic acid concentration 8.0 mol/L and liquid/solid ratio 5.0 mL/g, most of the minerals in tailings can be dissolved except tremolite. The results indicate that, compared with the traditional heating methods, microwave heating could greatly improve the acid-leaching rate of tailings.