A NEW APPROACH TO THE METALLURGICAL TREATMENT OF NICKELIFEROUS LATERITES

Objective

The research results derived for the two methods tested, the Heap Leaching Process and the SERVO Process, clearly showed that the former is suitable to treat economically the haematitic and limonitic laterites, whereas the latter can treat the serpentinic laterites.
The proposed research is directed at developing an integrated metallurgical process on a laboratory scale, hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical, for the extraction and recovery of nickel and cobalt from limonitic and serpentinic laterites. Existing pyrometallurgical methods suffer from high energy consumption whereas the cheaper hydrometallurgical ones cannot treat economically the serpentinic laterites. The major research tasks are :

a. Ore characterisation and separation
b. Heap leaching of ore with sulphuric acid at ambient temperature
c. Pregnant leach liquor purification and recovery of nickel and cobalt.
d. Selective extraction, separation and recovery of nickel and cobalt using the SERVO process.
e. Tailings disposal and effluent treatment.
f. Processes definition
g. Conceptual plant design-preliminary economic analysis of the processes under investigation-process selection

It is anticipated that successful completion of the project will result in a more economical, more competitive and environmentally safer metallurgical method than the existing ones for serpentinic and limonitic laterites

Programme(s)

• FP3-BRITE/EURAM 2 - Specific programme (EEC) of research and technological development in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 1.1.3 - Mineral processing

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

NTU ATHENS

Address

Valmont Street, 76
11474 Athens
Greece

 

Participants (2)

UNIV MINHO

Portugal

Address

Azurem
4800 Guimaraes

 

University of Hertfordshire

United Kingdom

Address

Hatfield Campus College Lane
AL10 9AB Hatfield