Abstract
Corresponding to the technological developments, production and consumption of nickel have increased greatly over time due to its unique mechanical and chemical properties. Therefore, the production of nickel will always keep its importance. The availability of laterite ores, which are oxide type ores, is 86% of the nickel reserves on the Earth, and the processes used in the production of nickel from sulfide type ores have negative environmental effects. Therefore, recovery of nickel from lateritic ores has become increasingly important in recent years. In this study, the aim was to determine the optimum parameters of nickel and cobalt production from limonite type lateritic nickel ores, which were taken from Manisa Caldag region of Turkey, using atmospheric pressure sulfuric acid leaching and pug-roast-leach process. When the results obtained in these processes were compared, it was found that the Ni leaching efficiency is nearly 8% higher and iron leaching efficiency (contamination) is nearly 4% lower in the pug-roast-leach process. Furthermore, the pug-roast-leach process was completed in 33% lower time compared to the atmospheric pressure sulfuric acid leaching process.
Highlights
There are two types of nickel-containing ore deposits
The aim of this study is to determine the optimum parameters for nickel and cobalt production from limonite type lateritic nickel ores, which were taken from Manisa Caldag region of Turkey, through atmospheric pressure sulfuric acid leaching and pug-roast-leaching processes
Nickel and cobalt were extracted from limonite type lateritic nickel ores, which were taken from Manisa Caldag region of Turkey, by using atmospheric pressure sulfuric acid leaching and pug-roast-leaching processes
Summary
There are two types of nickel-containing ore deposits These are sulfide type and laterite types. Sulfide type minerals’ availability is about 14% of the total known nickel reserves. Recovery of nickel from laterite ores is becoming increasingly important since their availability is 86% of the nickel reserves on the Earth [1-7]. Extraction of nickel from ores with high Ni/Fe ratio and low moisture content is carried out by pyrometallurgical processes. These processes are used in nickel extraction from ores with high magnesium content. Disadvantages of pyrometallurgical processes such as high-grade ore requirement, metal loss with slag, high energy requirement, SO2 removal problems and low cobalt recovery rate increase the cost of nickel production [8]–[16]. For all the above reasons, hydrometallurgical processes are preferred instead of pyrometallurgical processes [17-20]
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