Abstract
Hydrometallurgical methods were tested for recycling tailings (cakes) formed at nickel plants that process oxide nickel ores by ammonia-carbonate technology. Certain plants – in particular, the Nicaro (Cuba) plant – have accumulated tens of millions of tons of tailings containing up to 1% valuable components (Ni and Co). It is shown that sulfuric-acid leaching is the best variant for hydrometallurgical recycling of the tailings. The optimum leaching regimes are determined. The net amount of nickel and cobalt recovered from the tailings as a commercial product (a collective nickel-cobalt concentrate) is 85–86%. Most of the sulfuric acid that is used can be regenerated by the steam hydrolysis of ferrous sulfate.
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