Characterization of fluidized reduction roasting of nickel laterite ore under CO/CO_(2)atmosphere

Fluidized reduction roasting is an efficient metallurgical technique.However,its application to nickel laterite ore has rarely been reported.In this paper,the effects of reduction temperature,reduction time,CO concentration,and material particle size on the roasting characteristics of ferronickel fluidization reduction were investigated.Combined with X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry(SEM-EDS)characterization,the mineral phases and microscopic morphology of nickel laterite ore and its roasted ores were analyzed in depth.The results indicated that under the condition of a CO/CO_(2)ratio of 1:1,a reduction temperature of 800℃,and a reduction roasting time of 60 min,a nickel-iron concentrate with a nickel grade of 2.10%and an iron content of 45.96%was produced from a raw material with a nickel grade of 1.45%,achieving a remarkable nickel recovery rate of 46.26%.XRD and SEM-EDS analysis indicated that nickel in the concentrate mainly exists in the form of[Fe,Ni],while the unrecovered nickel in the tailings is primarily present in the form of[Fe,Ni]and Ni_(2)SiO_(4)in forsterite.This study established a theoretical foundation for further exploration of fluidized reduction roasting technology.

Extraction of molybdenum and nickel from Ni-Mo ore by pressure acid leaching

A direct hydrometallurgical route for nickel and molybdenum extraction from a nickel-molybdenum （Ni-Mo） ore using pressure acid leaching was studied. The nickel and molybdenum were extracted by acid leaching under oxygen pressure. Compared with traditional roasting methods, this hydrometallurgical method eliminates SO2 and As203 emission （the Ni-Mo ore containing 15%-25% S）. Compared with existing alkali leaching recovery of molybdenum process, almost all the nickel and considerable molybdenum were extracted in the acid leaching process. Under oxygen pressure conditions, almost all the nickel and a substantial part of the molybdenum were dissolved into the acid leaching liquor and the other part of the molybdenum was left in the acid leach residue. The acid leach residue was further leached under alkaline （NaOH） conditions. Under optimal experimental conditions, the extraction rates nickel and molybdenum reached 97% and 96%, respectively.

Preparation of ammonium jarosite from clinker digestion solution of nickel oxide ore roasted using(NH_4 )_2SO_4

To obtain the appropriate conditions for eliminating Fe3＋from NiSO4 solution, the digestion solution of the clinker was used as raw material, which was obtained from roasting the nickel oxide ore with （NH4）2SO4. The ammonium jarosite was successfully synthesized from the solution with analytic grade NH4HCO3. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, end pH value of reaction on the removal rate of iron were investigated, and the effect of the initial concentration of Fe3＋was also discussed. All of those factors had significant effects on the removal rate of Fe3＋, among which the reaction temperature was the most prominent. The appropriate reaction conditions were concluded as follows： reaction temperature 95 ℃ reaction time 3.5 h, end pH value of reaction 2.5 at initial concentration of Fe3＋19.36 g/L. The physical aspect of （NH4）2Fe6（SO4）4（OH）12 was cluster figure composed of sheet or prismatic particles with smooth surface.

Extraction of molybdenum and nickel from roasted Ni-Mo ore by hydrochloric acid leaching, sulphation roasting and water leaching

To extract molybdenum and nickel from the roasted Ni-Mo ore, a process of hydrochloric acid leaching, sulphation roasting and water leaching was investigated. The results showed that this process could get a high leaching rate of Mo and Ni. Under the optimum conditions of hydrochloric acid leaching （roasted Ni-Mo ore leached with 0.219 mL/g hydrochloric acid addition at 65 ℃ for 30 min with a L/S ratio of 3 mL/g）, sulphation roasting （51.9% sulfiaric acid addition, roasting temperature 240 ℃ for 1 h）, followed by leaching with the first stage hydrochloric acid leaching solution at 95 ℃ for 2 h, the leaching rates of Mo and Ni reached 95.8% and 91.3%, respectively.

Recovery of valuable metals from a low-grade nickel ore using an ammonium sulfate roasting-leaching process

Metal leaching from a low-grade nickel ore was investigated using an ammonium sulfate roasting-water leaching process. The nickel ore was mixed with ammonium sulfate, followed by roasting and finally leaching with water. During the process the effects of the amotmt of ammonium sulfate, roasting temperature, and roasting time on the leaching recovery of metal elements were analyzed. The optimum technological parameters were determined as follows： ammonium sulfate/ore ratio, 0.8 g/g; roasting temperature, 400℃; and roasting time, 2 h. Under the optimum condition the leaching recoveries ofNi, Cu, Fe, and Mg were 83.48%, 76.24%, 56.43%, and 62.15%, respectively. Furthermore, the dissolution kinetics of Ni and Mg from the nickel ore was studied. The apparent activation energies for the leaching reaction of Ni and Mg were 18.782 and 10.038 kJ.mo1-1, which were consistent with the values of diffusion control reactions. Therefore, the results demonstrated that the leaching recoveries of Ni and Mg were controlled by diffusion.

Efficient enrichment of nickel and iron in laterite nickel ore by deep reduction and magnetic separation

The process of deep reduction and magnetic separation was proposed to enrich nickel and iron from laterite nickel ores.Results show that nickel-iron concentrates with nickel grade of 6.96%,nickel recovery of 94.06%,iron grade of 34.74%,and iron recovery of 80.44% could be obtained after magnetic separation under the conditions of reduction temperature of 1275℃,reduction time of 50 min,slag basicity of 1.0,carbon-containing coefficient of 2.5,and magnetic field strength of 72 kA/m.Reduction temperature and time affected the possibility of deep reduction and reaction progress.Slag basicity affected the composition of slag in burden and the spilling and enriching rate of nickel-iron from a matrix to form nickel-iron particles.Nickel-iron particles were generated,aggregated,and grew gradually in the reduction process.Nickel-iron particles can be effectively separated from gangue minerals by magnetic separation.

Extraction of valuable metals from low-grade nickeliferous laterite ore by reduction roasting-ammonia leaching method

Nickel and cobalt were extracted from low-grade nickeliferous laterite ore using a reduction roasting-ammonia leaching method.The reduction roasting-ammonia leaching experimental tests were chiefly introduced,by which fine coal was used as a reductant.The results show that the optimum process conditions are confirmed as follows:in reduction roasting process,the mass fraction of reductant in the ore is 10%,roasting time is 120 min,roasting temperature is 1 023-1 073 K;in ammonia leaching process,the liquid-to-solid ratio is 4:1(mL/g),leaching temperature is 313 K,leaching time is 120 min,and concentration ratio of NH3 to CO2 is 90 g/L:60 g/L.Under the optimum conditions,leaching efficiencies of nickel and cobalt are 86.25% and 60.84%,respectively.Therefore,nickel and cobalt can be effectively reclaimed,and the leaching agent can be also recycled at room temperature and normal pressure.

Microwave assisted atmospheric acid leaching of nickel from laterite ore

The recovery of nickel from laterite ore with sulphuric acid under the effect of microwave irradiation was studied.The experimental results indicated that the extraction rate of nickel was influenced by reaction time,sulphuric acid concentration,and temperature,especially by microwave power.The results obtained from the experiments of orthogonal arrays showed that the optimum conditions of sulphuric acid concentration,reaction time,microwave power,and temperature were 25 vol.%,1.5 h,600 W,and 90°C,respectively.Under the optimal conditions,the nickel recovery could reach approximately 90.8%,which was higher than that obtained by conventional water bath heating.Kinetic experiments showed that the leaching of nickel in a sulphuric acid medium was controlled by chemical reaction occurring on the surface of laterite ore.The apparent activation energy was 38.9 kJ/mol.Microwave heating technology is efficient,clean,and easy to control and facilitate continuous processing of materials.

Transformation and leaching kinetics of silicon from low-grade nickel laterite ore by pre-roasting and alkaline leaching process

The mineralogical phase transformation of a low-grade nickel laterite ore during pre-roasting process and the extraction of silicon during alkaline leaching process were investigated.The results indicate that the reaction activity of nickel ores is effectively improved by pre-roasting at650°C for2h,because of the transformation of lizardite into magnesium olivine and protoenstatite.When finely ground ore samples(44-61μm)pre-roasted firstly react with sodium hydroxide solution(60g/L)with a solid/liquid ratio of1:5at140°C for120min,the extraction of silicon can reach89.89%,and the other valuable elements of magnesium,iron and nickel are accumulated in the solid residues.The leaching kinetics of nickel laterite ore can be described successfully by the diffusion through the product layer control model.The activation energy is calculated to be11.63kJ/mol and the kinetics equation can be expressed as1-3(1-x)2/3+2(1-x)=13.53×10-2exp[-11.63/(RT)]t.

Dissolution of lateritic nickel ore using ascorbic acid as synergistic reagent in sulphuric acid solution

The dissolution of nickel and cobalt from Caldag lateritic nickel ore using the combination of sulphuric and ascorbic acids was investigated. The use of other organic acids, namely citric, maleic and stearic acids, as synergistic reagents was studied for comparison. The results revealed that the use of ascorbic and citric acids markedly improved the dissolution of cobalt compared to the other two organic acids that only showed slight synergistic effect on the leaching rate. In terms of nickel dissolution, ascorbic acid is the most effective synergist, followed by citric, maleic and stearic acids in descending order. Under the most optimized conditions found in this study, i.e., using 1 mol/L of sulphuric acid with the presence of 4 g/L of ascorbic acid at 80 ℃and solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/10, more than 99% and 98% leaching rates of cobalt and nickel, respectively, can be achieved within 4 h of leaching. In addition, the leaching performance is relatively insensitive to the change of ascorbic acid concentration from 2 to 4 g/L which is highly desirable from operational perspective.

Relationship between process mineralogical characterization and beneficiability of low-grade laterite nickel ore

Process mineralogy of low-grade laterite nickel ore in Indonesia was systematically characterized and the beneficiation process of mineral components such as limonite,serpentine and chromite was studied on the basis of process mineralogy.The results show that the low-grade laterite nickel ore is a typical weathering sedimentary metamorphic oxidized ore,with the main valuable elements of Ni,Co and Cr and the main mineral components of limonite,serpentine,chromite,etc.There is no independent carrier mineral of Ni and Co in the raw ore,and the occurrence states of Ni and Co are relatively dispersed.For the limonite in laterite nickel mine,the nickel bearing magnetite concentrate with nickel grade of 1.98%and recovery rate of 88.42%can be obtained by reduction roasting magnetic separation process.For the serpentine in laterite nickel mine,the cobalt bearing concentrate with Co grade of 0.17%and recovery rate of 23.17%can be obtained by positive and reverse flotation process.A chromium concentrate containing 35.17%Cr_(2)O_(3) and a recovery of 33.42%can be obtained by using the combined process of coarse and fine classification and gravity and magnetic.

Generation process of FeS and its inhibition mechanism on iron mineral reduction in selective direct reduction of laterite nickel ore

Numerous studies have demonstrated that Na2SO4 can significantly inhibit the reduction of iron oxide in the selective reduction process of laterite nickel ore. FeS generated in the process plays an important role in selective reduction, but the generation process of FeS and its inhibition mechanism on iron reduction are not clear. To figure this out, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses were conducted to study the roasted ore. The results show that when Na2SO4 is added in the roasting, the FeO content in the roasted ore increases accompanied by the emergence of FeS phase. Further analysis indicates that NaeS formed by the reaction of Na2SO4 with CO reacts with SiO2 at the FeO surface to generate FeS and Na2Si2Os. As a result, a thin film forms on the surface of FeO, hindering the contact between reducing gas and FeO. Therefore, the reduction of iron is depressed, and the FeO content in the roasted ore increases.

Kinetic study on leaching of nickel from Turkish lateritic ore in nitric acid solution

Dissolution kinetics of nickel from lateritic ore in nitric acid solution was investigated. Experimental parameters used were stirring speed(100-600 r/min), temperature(40-96 °C), nitric acid concentration(0.1-2 mol/L) and particle size(<106 μm). The shrinking core model was applied to the results of experiments investigating the effects of leaching temperature in the range of 40-90 °C and nitric acid concentration in range of 0.1-2 mol/L on nickel dissolution rate. The kinetic analysis shows that the nickel dissolution from lateritic ore could be described by diffusion model. The activation energy(E_a) for the dissolution reaction is calculated as 79.52 kJ/mol.

A green process for recovering nickel from nickeliferous laterite ores

A novel process was proposed for recovering nickel from nickeliferous laterite ores.First of all,silicon and magnesium were removed from lateritic ore by high concentration sodium hydroxide leaching and carbonation respectively,so as to enrich nickel. Then the method of ammonia carbonate leaching was adopted to recover nickel from the carbonized slag,and the remaining residue was used as a raw material for recovering iron.The effects of temperature,ammonia carbonate concentration,liquid/solid ratio and stirring speed on the recovery of nickel were examined.When the leached residue reacted with ammonia carbonate(6 mol·L- 1)in a ratio of liquid-to-solid of 5-1 at 60℃for 150 min at the stirring speed of 300 r·min- 1,approximate more than 95%nickel was recovered.During the whole process,there was no contamination produced and the chemical raw materials were recycled,thus the process was a green technology that having good social benefit.

Mechanism of Mg2+ dissolution from olivine and serpentine: Implication for bioleaching of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore at elevated pH

To inhibit the dissolution of Mg^2+ during the bioleaching process of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore, the effect of major bioleaching factors on the dissolution of Mg^2+ from olivine and serpentine was investigated and kinetics studies were carried out. The results indicated that the dissolution rate-controlling steps are chemical reaction for olivine and internal diffusion for serpentine. The most influential factor on the dissolution of Mg^2+ from olivine and serpentine was temperature, followed by p H and particle size. A novel method of bioleaching at elevated pH was used in the bioleaching of Jinchuan ore. The results showed that elevated pH could significantly reduce the dissolution of Mg^2+ and acid consumption along with slightly influencing the leaching efficiencies of nickel and cobalt. A model was used to explain the leaching behaviors of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore in different bioleaching systems. The model suggested that olivine will be depleted eventually, whereas serpentine will remain because of the difference in the rate-controlling steps. Bioleaching at elevated pH is a suitable method for treating high-magnesium nickel sulfide ores.

Application of response surface methodology in optimization of bioleaching parameters for high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore

The response surface methodology(RSM)was used to optimize the operating parameters during the bioleaching of Jinchuan high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore.The particle size,acid addition,pulp density and inoculation amount were chosen as the investigated parameters.To maximize the leaching efficiency of nickel,copper,cobalt and minimize the dissolution of magnesium and iron ions,the model suggested a combination of optimal parameters of particles less than 0.074 mm being 72.11%,sulfuric acid addition being 300 kg/t,pulp density being 5%and inoculation amount being 12.88%.Under the conditions,the average results of three parallel experiments were 89.43%of nickel leaching efficiency,36.78%of copper leaching efficiency,84.07%of cobalt leaching efficiency,49.19%of magnesium leaching efficiency and 0.20 g/L of iron concentration.The model indicated that the most significant factor in response of the leaching efficiency of valuable metal is the particle size,and the most significant factor in response to the leaching efficiency of harmful ions(Mg2+)is the amount of sulfuric acid addition.And according to the suggested models,no significance of the interaction effect between particle size and acid addition was shown.Under the optimized parameters suggested by models,the valuable metals could be separated from harmful ions during the bioleaching process.

Process Mineralogy of Lateritic Nickel Ore

This paper presents a methodology for studying low grade lateritic nickel ore, which usually presents complex mineralogy, with widespread nickel in several mineral phases. The study is focused on determining the mineralogy and the distribution of nickel in the bearing minerals. Laboratory assays comprise homogenization, sampling and particle size analysis. Chemical analyses by X-ray fluorescence are performed in all fractions sizes, while mineralogical assessments by X-ray diffraction are carried out for head sample. The mineralogical composition of the samples and the partition of main elements in the bearing minerals are assayed by size fraction through automated image analysis software (MLA) coupled to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical compositions of the several minerals identified in MLA are determined during systematic observations on SEM with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS).

Evolution of ferronickel particles during the reduction of low-grade saprolitic laterite nickel ore by coal in the temperature range of 900–1250℃with the addition of CaO–CaF_(2)–H_(3)BO_(3)

The method of producing ferronickel at low temperature(1250–1400℃)has been applied since the 1950s at Nippon Yakin Kogyo,Oheyama Works,Japan.Limestone was used as an additive to adjust the slag composition for lowering the slag melting point.The ferronickel product was recovered by means of a magnetic separator from semi-molten slag and metal after water quenching.To increase the efficiency of magnetic separation,a large particle size of ferronickel is desired.Therefore,in this study,the influences of CaO,CaF_(2),and H_(3)BO_(3) additives on the evolution of ferronickel particle at≤1250℃were investigated.The experiments were conducted at 900–1250℃with the addition of CaO,CaF_(2),and H_(3)BO_(3).The reduction processes were carried out in a horizontal tube furnace for 2 h under argon atmosphere.At 1250℃,with the CaO addition of 10 wt%of the ore weight,ferronickel particles with size of 20μm were obtained.The ferronickel particle size increased to 165μm by adding 10 wt%CaO and 10 wt%CaF_(2).The addition of boric acid further increased the ferronickel particle size to 376μm,as shown by the experiments with the addition of 10 wt%CaO,10 wt%CaF_(2),and 10 wt%H_(3)BO_(3).

Two-stage reduction for the preparation of ferronickel alloy from nickel laterite ore with low Co and high MgO contents

The preparation of ferronickel alloy from the nickel laterite ore with low Co and high MgO contents was studied by using a pre-reduction-smelting method. The effects of reduction time, calcination temperature, quantity of reductant and calcium oxide (CaO), and pellet diameter on the reduction ratio of Fe and on the pellet strength were investigated. The results show that, for a roasting temperature > 800 A degrees C, a roasting time > 30 min, 1.5wt% added anthracite coal, 5wt% added CaO, and a pellet size of similar to 10 mm, the reduction ratio of Fe exceeds 70% and the compressive strength of the pellets exceeds 10 kg per pellet. Reduction smelting experiments were performed by varying the smelting time, temperature, quantity of reductant and CaO, and reduction ratio of Fe in the pellets. Optimal conditions for the reduction smelting process are as follows: smelting time, 30-45 min; smelting temperature, 1550A degrees C; quantity of reductant, 4wt%-5wt%; and quantity of CaO, 5wt%; leading to an Fe reduction ratio of 75% in the pellets. In addition, the mineral composition of the raw ore and that during the reduction process were investigated by process mineralogy.

Making Ferronickel from Laterite Nickel Ore by Coal-Based Self-Reduction and High Temperature Melting Process

Based on the process of coal-based self-reduction and melting separation at high temperature, it was investigated that the effect of process factors on the reduction of iron and nickel oxide, the metal yield and the nickel content in ferronickel about the laterite nickel ore, was from Philippines and contented low nickel, high iron and aluminum. The results showed that if the C/O mole ratio was not higher than 0.5 and the reduction temperature was kept as 1200°C and then increased up to 1500°C, the metal could not separate from molten slag for the A series of experiments, which were only added CaF2. However, when the C/O ratio was added up to 0.6 - 0.8, the metal could separate well from the slag, and the yields of Fe and Ni increased gradually. But the nickel content in the metal declined from 1.79% to 1.34%. When the C/O ratio increased to 1.2, and the temperature of melting products obtained at 1200°C and rose to 1550°C, the separation of metal from slag could not be realized in B group of tests, which were only added hydrated lime. However, when both of CaF2 and hydrated lime were added, the metal could separate from slag in C group. In order to increase the content of nickel in the metal, it is necessary to restrain the reduction of iron oxide. When the C/O mole ratio is 0.6, the nickel content of metal could be 1.79%, which was higher than the theoretical ratio 1.65% of Ni/(Ni + Fe) of the latcritic nickel ore, but the yield of nickle was only 71.3%.