Analysis of flux type variations in the sintering process of limonitic laterite nickel ore

Abstract

The lack of nickel sulfide ore reserves in the world makes the processing of laterite nickel ore as an alternative raw material even higher. Sintering itself is a pre-treatment process for laterite nickel ore before it is fed into the blast furnace through a heating process below the melting point until agglomeration between particles occurs. During the sintering process, there is the addition of flux. Flux is an important additive in both sintering and smelting processes in the blast furnace. This study aims to analyze the effect of various types of flux variations (such as split stone, limestone, and dolomite). First, the raw materials in the form of nickel laterite ore, charcoal and flux were weighed and mixed according to previous calculations. Then, the mixture of raw materials was put into a sintering furnace and heated at 1200°C for 4 hours. After completion, the sinter was then weighed and sinter yield calculation was conducted. Then, the sinters were tested using a drop test, EDX, and XRD. As a result, sintering with the highest nickel content (3.07%) was obtained when using flux in the form of limestone. On the other hand, the highest Shatter Index (68.85%) was obtained when using split stone type fluxes.