Abstract: This study investigates the recovery of ZnO from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) through vacuum carbothermal reduction. The effects of carbon addition and reduction temperature on the reduction behavior of ZnO were examined using thermodynamic calculations and experimental methods. The results indicate that the initial reduction temperature of ZnO decreases to 850℃ under vacuum conditions, enabling efficient reaction at lower temperatures and significantly reducing energy consumption. Phase analysis reveals that no elemental Zn is present in the solid reduction products, as Zn volatilizes directly in gaseous form, consistent with thermodynamic predictions. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that the reduction process is initially controlled by the Zhuravlev-Lesokhin-Tempelman three-dimensional diffusion mechanism, transitioning to the Antagonistic Jander model in the later stages. The apparent activation energies for these two stages are 360.87 kJ/mol and 292.91 kJ/mol, respectively. This study provides a theoretical foundation and technical support for the efficient recovery of valuable Zn from electric arc furnace dust.