Nickel Laterite Ore Research Articles

Mechanism of Directional Reduction Strengthening of Nickel Laterite Ore Under Fluidization Condition

Mechanism of Directional Reduction Strengthening of Nickel Laterite Ore Under Fluidization Condition

Valorization of Solid Residue from the Lateritic Nickel Ore Leaching Process for Ferronickel Production

Valorization of Solid Residue from the Lateritic Nickel Ore Leaching Process for Ferronickel Production

HPAL of a lateritic nickel ore: An investigation on the relationship between nickel and cobalt extraction and acid consumption

Nickel and cobalt raw materials have become essential in industries like batteries such as robotics, and drones, which are considered as future technologies due to their expanding applications and diversity. Research towards the development of environmentally friendly and relatively low-cost alternative methods for extracting nickel, particularly from low-grade deposits, is becoming increasingly crucial. Laterite ores processing is plagued by high reagent consumption and scale formation. This study focused on investigating the relationship between Ni and Co extraction and acid consumption in the high-pressure acid leaching of lateritic ore, as well as the characterization of leach residue. Analysis has shown that the lateritic ore contains 1.05 % Ni, 0.05 % Co and 21.94 % Fe. In the acid leaching tests based upon a Box-Behnken Design, the initial acid concentration and leach time have a beneficial effect on the Ni extraction (70–94 %). Cobalt extractions ranged between 93 % and 96 %. To facilitate Fe dissolution and increase Ni extraction, cuprous ions were added into the leach solution. Moderate level copper addition (0.025 M) resulted in a significant improvement in Ni extraction, whereas high levels of cuprous addition (0.050 M) did not have further benefit. It has been noted that adding cuprous ions significantly reduces the amount of scale that forms in the autoclave. The lowest Ni extraction was obtained under two different test conditions that did not include copper ions. Increased acid addition was correlated with the increase in Ni leaching and decreased Fe content in residue. There will exist an optimal situation where the acid addition is enough to enhance Ni dissolution and the Eh condition, leading to minimal dissolved Fe.

Study on leaching SiO2 and kinetics of laterite nickel ore in hydrometallurgy

Study on leaching SiO2 and kinetics of laterite nickel ore in hydrometallurgy

Preparation of Nickel–Iron Concentrate from Low-Grade Laterite Nickel Ore by Solid-State Metalized Reduction and Magnetic Separation

Preparation of Nickel–Iron Concentrate from Low-Grade Laterite Nickel Ore by Solid-State Metalized Reduction and Magnetic Separation

Manufacturing of Fe-Ni Composite Oxide Powder and Leaching Process Optimization Via Nickel Pig Iron(NPI) Raw Materials

The lithium-ion battery industry is experiencing rapid growth in response to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, leading to a significant increase in demand for high-purity nickel compounds, a critical raw material. As a result, ensuring a smooth supply of nickel resources poses a critical challenge not only for the battery industry but also for enhancing the competitiveness of future clean energy industries. High-purity nickel production is predominantly carried out via the high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) process, which extracts nickel from nickel laterite ores. However, this process involves substantial initial capital investment and consumes significant energy due to high temperatures, high pressure, and strong acids. Additionally, this method is associated with environmental concerns such as water and soil pollution. Furthermore, an alternative approach is proposed, which involves adding sulfur to low-grade nickel pig iron (NPI) to produce the nickel matte, followed by an iron removal process to generate high-purity nickel sulfide. However, this method presents challenges such as waste generation from the iron removal process, high carbon emissions, and the production of large amounts of greenhouse gases. This study explored using anodic oxidation to induce oxidative reactions in NPI to nano-powder. This approach improves nickel recovery efficiency by increasing the surface area compared to the bulk state, allowing leaching at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. As a result, the process becomes simpler, with lower initial capital investment, making it economically viable. Additionally, the process requires less energy consumption, allowing for achieving the breakeven point at an earlier stage. This study compared the characteristics of the nano-powderized NPI under different voltage and current ranges. Furthermore, the nickel leaching efficiency was assessed based on leaching solution conditions.

Research of Reactions on Ferronickel Laterite by Rotary Kiln Furnace Process

Nickel is an important strategic metal, which is mainly used for the production of a wide range in the production of various anti-corrosion steels. Electric furnace, rotary kiln and smelting is currently the world-wide integration process for the production of ferronickel from nickel laterite ore, despite its high energy consumption. In this study, with the aim of providing some meaningful analysis for the production of ferronickel and reactions formed in the rotary kiln. The samples obtained were analyzed under conditions including reducing parameters (temperature and time) and smelting parameters (CaO, Al2O3 and MgO ratios). The metal content as well as the Ni, Fe, S and P content of ferronickel were taken into account. The results showed that Ni-containing ferronickel from a laterite with 0.88 wt. % Ni during the process in the rotating furnace is characterized by different reactions which have been verified by XRD diffraction.

Geostatistical Models and Estimation of Laterite Nickel Ore Reserves, Marombo Block, South Sulawesi

Abstract Geostatistical modeling in this study requires a distribution of drill points that have a fixed dimension so that they can produce a reserve accuracy match that is the same as the variograph. The choice of reserve estimation method is prioritized by determining the geological domains of limonite, saprolite and bedrock through a geostatistical approach, namely ordinary krigging (OK) and inverse distance weight (IDW) with the JORC standard (2012), for the accuracy of the limonite and saprolite zone boundaries. The reserve model has shown a definite model of the limonite and saprolite zones and can be used further. By using simulations on cut-off grade (COG) to calculate resources and classify mineral resources, the estimation results obtained mean nickel levels above 1.40% so that the CoG to be used must be greater than Ni 0.90% for limonite, and Ni 1.10% for saprolite. The results of modeling the geometry of laterite nickel ore obtained that the total tonnage shown in limonite was 0.36 wmt (wet metric ton), inferred 0.10 wmt, and indicated in saprolite was 0.58 wmt, inferred was 0.40 wmt.

Recovery of high-quality iron phosphate from acid-leaching tailings of laterite nickel ore

Laterite nickel ore is rich in nickel and iron resources, and the nickel element is extracted in the form of nickel salt. However, the acid-leaching tailings of laterite nickel ore (LTLNO), which contain valuable iron resources, have not been cost-effectively recovered. In this work, we designed a novel method to extract iron from LTLNO and recycle it into high-valuable iron phosphate products using only phosphoric acid and iron powder. We explored the effects of reaction parameters, such as phosphoric acid concentration, iron powder dosage, time, and temperature, on the leaching behavior of key elements. The results showed that the iron leaching rate was as high as 96.54 % when using 3.5 mol/L phosphoric acid with a liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S) of 5 mL/g and an iron powder dosage based on the Fe/Fen+ ratio of 0.5 after 3 h at 25 °C, and a final high-purity FePO4 (99.4 %) was obtained. Kinetic analysis revealed that the leaching reaction was controlled by the diffusion through the neogenetic layer, and the leaching reactions were thermodynamically favorable. This method allows for a simpler and more efficient recovery of iron and the products of higher-value iron phosphate products than other LTLNO recycling technologies. Additionally, it offers a total economic benefit of $134/t for LTLNO treatment, demonstrating great prospects for industrial application.

Sulfuric acid leaching of ferronickel and preparation of precursor materials for power batteries: Strategy of enhanced leaching through thermal activation and its mechanism

With the development of the new energy industry, the demand for iron phosphate and nickel–cobalt hydroxide precursor materials in the power battery industry has increased sharply. Ferronickel with low content of other impurities, derived from electric furnace smelting of laterite nickel ore, contains iron, nickel, and cobalt components used for the production of two kinds of power batteries. In this study, the sulfuric acid leaching behaviors of the water quenched ferronickel particles under atmospheric pressure was investigated. Practically, the direct leaching performance of these ferronickel particles in sulfuric acid is unsatisfactory. The leaching of Ni, Co and Fe was only 4.52 %, 3.58 % and 3.83 %, respectively, at the initial acid concentration of 3 mol/L, liquid–solid ratio of 12 mL/g, leaching temperature of 95 °C and time of 4 h. However, through thermal activation, the face-centered cubic (FCC) Fe-Ni phase was transformed into the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure, which significantly improved its acidic leaching activity. Under the thermal activation at 800 °C for 2 h, the leaching of Ni, Co and Fe reached 91.27 %, 90.12 % and 89.19 %, respectively, at the same leaching conditions. After oxidizing the Fe(II) in lixivium to Fe(III) using hydrogen peroxide, 89.3 % of Fe was selectively precipitated into battery-grade iron phosphate by adding phosphoric acid and coordinating solution pH. Nickel and cobalt in residual solution was then recovered to nickel–cobalt hydroxide by precipitation after removing impurity ions in advance. This study provides a new pathway for the value-added utilization of ferronickel in the power battery industry, not only in the production of stainless steel.

Sulfur Removal and Iron Recovery from High-Pressure Acid Leaching Residue of Nickel Laterite Ore

Sulfur Removal and Iron Recovery from High-Pressure Acid Leaching Residue of Nickel Laterite Ore

Study on the treatment of pyrolysis products from the nitric acid pressure leach liquor of laterite

As the demand for nickel increases sharply, it is of great significance to extract valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt from lateritic nickel ore with huge reserves. Based on the nitric acid pressure leaching process (NAPL) of laterite nickel ore, a clean process of laterite nickel ore treatment is proposed. The process includes concentration and crystallization of pressure leaching solution of nitric acid, pyrolysis of mixed nitrate crystal, alkaline leaching of mixed oxides and acid leaching of alkaline leaching residue. Based on previous work, the high-pressure alkaline leaching process of pyrolysis products (mixed oxides) and atmospheric pressure sulfuric acid leaching process of alkaline leaching residue were studied in this paper. First, the Eh-pH diagrams of metal-water system of common elements in laterite nickel ore was summarized according to the reaction equations of different substances in aqueous solution, and the subsequent wet leaching process was guided. The following alkaline leaching experiments showed that under the conditions of 300 g/L NaOH concentration, 3.5 mL/g liquid–solid ratio, 160 °C leaching temperature and 1 h leaching temperature, 85.0 % of aluminum in mixed oxides can be leached and scandium can be enriched by 13 times. Finally, under the conditions of initial sulfuric acid concentration of 4 M, temperature of 100 °C, leaching time of 30 min and liquid–solid ratio of 4 mL/g, the leaching rates of Al, Ni, Mg, Co, Mn, Fe and Sc in alkaline leaching residue were 92.0 %, 97.5 %, 98.4 %, 92.3 %, 62.7 % and 68, respectively. A new procedure for treating lateritic nickel ore is proposed, allowing for thorough recovery and usage of important components. The technique is green and environmentally benign, resulting in closed-loop production of laterite-nickel ore treatment with numerous application possibilities.

Rapid iron extraction from nickel leaching residue by a hydrogen plasma smelting reduction

The processing of limonite-type lateritic nickel ore through sulfuric acid leaching generates leaching residue that requires careful handling and treatment. This residue, which contains over 38% iron, has the potential to be an alternative raw material for the iron and steel industry. However, the direct use of this residue as a burden material in the steel industry faces challenges due to the substantial presence of sulfur, which exceeds 1%. In the pursuit of sustainability within the iron and steel sector, researchers have increasingly focused on advancing hydrogen plasma technology. Laboratory tests were conducted on the treatment of the leaching residue exposed to hydrogen plasma smelting reduction. The results revealed that within just 5 s of exposure to hydrogen plasma, the transformation of the residue into metal was initiated. After 30 s of exposure, the formation of metal had already occurred, but the sulfur content remained above 0.5%. However, when the residue was exposed to hydrogen plasma for 180 s, the sulfur content in the metal decreased to less than 0.1%. The presence of nickel and chromium in the resulting metal products should be taken into consideration, especially when special steels or stainless steel are being produced.

Collaborative separation of nickel and iron from nickel laterite ore and red mud

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated a nickel laterite ore with Ni content of 1.56 wt% and a red mud with Fe content of 20.98 wt%, the main Ni-bearing mineral in the nickel laterite ore was nickel-lizardite, and the main Fe-bearing mineral in the red mud was hematite. A novel process of roasting and magnetic separation was purposed to extract nickel and iron from the nickel laterite ore and red mud. The nickel laterite ore, red mud, calcium chloride, and coke were mixed and put in a roaster for roasting, and the ferronickel concentrate was obtained from the roasted ore by magnetic separation. The results showed that a ferronickel concentrate with Ni content of 7.97 wt%, Fe content of 73.09 wt%, iron recovery of 76.87%, and nickel recovery of 90.28% was obtained under the optimal conditions: a mass ratio of m (nickel laterite ore): m (red mud) : m (coke) : m (calcium chloride) : of 0.6:0.4:0.2:0.1, a roasting temperature of 1373 K, a roasting time of 90 min, a grinding fineness of − 0.045 mm occupying 90%, and a magnetic field strength of 0.20 T. The main minerals in the ferronickel product were metallic Fe and FeNi.

Parameters effect and optimization on calciner for treating magnesium salt based on computational fluid dynamics

The magnesium salt Mg(NO3)2·2H2O from laterite nickel ore nitric acid leaching process can be reused by thermal decomposition using calciner. To improve the performance of the calciner, a new numerical model integrating the gas-particle hydrodynamics and the particle pyrolysis reaction was established by Euler-Lagrange approach. In particular, the particle size variation caused by pyrolysis reaction was considered to accurately describe the gas-particle hydrodynamics. The particle pyrolysis model was developed to realize the interphase mass transfer. The P-1 model was modified to realize interphase radiation heat transfer. Then, the influence of different parameters on the thermal decomposition processes was discussed by using the established model. Finally, the optimal conditions for Mg(NO3)2·2H2O thermal decomposition were determined via response surface optimization analysis. The results show that the thermal decomposition of Mg(NO3)2·2H2O can be improved by increasing the initial hot gas temperature, reaction zone height, and decreasing treatment capacity of Mg(NO3)2·2H2O. The degree of influence of each parameter on thermal decomposition follows the order of initial hot gas temperature > treatment capacity of Mg(NO3)2·2H2O > reaction zone height. The decomposition rate of 99.99 % is obtained at optimized conditions of initial hot gas temperature 1111 K, Mg(NO3)2·2H2O treatment capacity 251 kg/h and reaction zone height 9 m.

Leaching Kinetics of Limonite-Type Laterite Nickel Ore from Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfate Solution at Atmospheric Pressure

Leaching Kinetics of Limonite-Type Laterite Nickel Ore from Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfate Solution at Atmospheric Pressure

Magnetic separation for recovering iron resources from acid-leaching tailings of laterite nickel ore through mineral phase transformation

The acid-leaching tailings of laterite nickel ore is a typical hazardous waste in the laterite nickel ore industry. The current treatment involves stacking and landfills, which leads to considerable environmental pollution and resource wastage. The reduction of hazardous waste and the recovery of iron resources have environmental and economic value. In this study, a mineral phase transformation technology was proposed. The suitable transformation conditions were 700 ℃, 30 min, and 30 % CO, and optimal grinding and magnetic conditions were −37 μm content 92.42 % and 143.35 kA·m−1, respectively. Then the iron grade and recovery reached 52.00 % and 80.11 %, respectively. Meanwhile, hematite has converted into strongly magnetic magnetite with saturation magnetization increased from nearly 0 A·m2·kg−1 to 28.49 A·m2·kg−1. And particles transformed from dense to a porous honeycomb structure. Therefore, the mineral phase transformation achieves recovering iron resources during reducing hazardous waste. It proposed a new way of resource utilization of laterite nickel ore acid-leaching tailings which has positive environmental and resource benefits.

Reductive behavior of nickel and iron metallization in magnesian siliceous nickel laterite ores under the action of sulfur-bearing natural gas

Abstract This study is a process for the preparation of advanced nickel–iron alloys by selective reduction of nickel-poor laterite ores using a variety of reducing agents. The first part of the experiment was the reduction of nickel laterite ore using natural gas; the reduction yielded mostly nickel metal and a small amount of iron forming fine nickel–iron particles. Fine nickel–iron particles are formed through the reduction of nickel and a small amount of iron oxides. These particles are dispersed and embedded within silicates. Additionally, H2S present in natural gas reacts with iron oxide, resulting in the formation of FeS. This, in turn, forms a low melting point eutectic with Fe, which reduces surface tension and promotes the growth and aggregation of nickel–iron particles. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various parameters such as roasting temperature, roasting time, natural gas concentration, and nickel laterite pellet on the formation and aggregation of ferronickel particles in low-grade nickel laterite ores. The results showed that the optimum reduction parameters were achieved at 900°C, 120 min, 40% natural gas concentration, and 40–60 mesh nickel laterite size, with roasting temperature being the most important factor followed by natural gas concentration, roasting time, and nickel laterite pellet. Using these parameters, the metallization rates of Ni and Fe were found to be as high as 95.3 and 8.5%, respectively.

Investigation of the settling behavior of lateritic nickel ores in the CCD process after HPAL

In this study, the settling performance of lateritic nickel ores in the Counter Current Decantation (CCD) thickeners following the High-Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) process was investigated in detail. The samples used within the scope of the study were obtained from the overflow of the 2nd CCD thickener under the condition that Manisa-Gördes and Eskişehir-Karaçam lateritic nickel ores were fed to the plant at different times. A series of settling tests were performed for both ores using anionic, cationic, and nonionic flocculants of various ionicity and molecular weight. Sedimentation performance was evaluated based on parameters such as settling time, clarity, and compression. To determine the optimum conditions for the tests, a preliminary test was performed, and the pulp solids content was determined as 7% and the flocculant dosage as 850 g/t. According to the test results, nonionic and very low anionic flocculants gave better results. It was found that flocculation was negatively affected with increasing anionicity, and results could be obtained only with very low anionicity flocculants. It was determined that the settling rate was very fast with cationic flocculants, but the amount of compression was not favorable, especially for Gördes ore. However, it is envisaged that the amount of consumption can be reduced if cationic flocculants are used especially for Karaçam ore. When a comparison was made between the ores, similar results were obtained in general and only for Karaçam ore, tikiner underflow density gave a successful result for all flocculant performances. On the other hand, it was concluded that variable ore structures and unstable process parameters influence the flocculant adsorption mechanisms and thus on the settling behavior.

Texture Evolution of Bainitic Steels Processed from Nickel Lateritic Ores: A Neutron-Diffraction Investigation

This study investigated the texture evolution of bainitic steel samples processed from lateritic nickel ores with varying heat treatment times. The samples were austenitized, air-cooled, and subjected to bainitic heat treatment at 532°C for 15 and 30 minutes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the sample treated at 532°C for 15 minutes, developed bainitic plates within the austenitic matrix due to the relatively rapid air cooling. Conversely, the sample, heat-treated at 532°C for 30 minutes, exhibited a combination of bainitic and pearlitic microstructures. Neutron diffraction analysis using software showed moderate-to-weak textures in both samples, indicating dislocation polygonization resulting from prolonged heat treatment. The results suggest that further research is needed to investigate the texture evolution of bainitic steels from nickel lateritic ores after plastic deformation. This work contributes to understanding the microstructural characteristics of bainitic steel derived from nickel lateritic ores, which may have significant implications for the production and application of these steels in the future.