Hydrometallurgical process for the separation and recovery of nickel from sulphate heap leach liquor of nickeliferrous laterite ores

Agatzini-Leonardou, S; Tsakiridis, PE; Oustadakis, P; Karidakis, T; Katsiapi, A

dc.contributor.author	Agatzini-Leonardou, S	en
dc.contributor.author	Tsakiridis, PE	en
dc.contributor.author	Oustadakis, P	en
dc.contributor.author	Karidakis, T	en
dc.contributor.author	Katsiapi, A	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:30:51Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:30:51Z
dc.date.issued	2009	en
dc.identifier.issn	0892-6875	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/19657
dc.subject	Hydrometallurgical process	en
dc.subject	Laterite leach liquor	en
dc.subject	Nickel recovery	en
dc.subject.classification	Engineering, Chemical	en
dc.subject.classification	Mineralogy	en
dc.subject.classification	Mining & Mineral Processing	en
dc.subject.other	Ambient temperatures	en
dc.subject.other	Brucite	en
dc.subject.other	Chemical precipitation	en
dc.subject.other	Cyanex 272	en
dc.subject.other	Cyanex 302	en
dc.subject.other	Electrowinning	en
dc.subject.other	Extractant concentration	en
dc.subject.other	Heap leaching	en
dc.subject.other	Hydrometallurgical methods	en
dc.subject.other	Hydrometallurgical process	en
dc.subject.other	Jarosites	en
dc.subject.other	Laterite leach liquor	en
dc.subject.other	Laterite ores	en
dc.subject.other	Leach liquors	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel concentrations	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel electrowinning	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel recovery	en
dc.subject.other	Organic phase	en
dc.subject.other	Spent electrolytes	en
dc.subject.other	Sulphate solutions	en
dc.subject.other	Sulphates	en
dc.subject.other	Sulphuric acids	en
dc.subject.other	Technical universities	en
dc.subject.other	Unit operation	en
dc.subject.other	Atmospheric chemistry	en
dc.subject.other	Atmospheric pressure	en
dc.subject.other	Calcium	en
dc.subject.other	Chromium	en
dc.subject.other	Cobalt	en
dc.subject.other	Concentration (process)	en
dc.subject.other	Electrolytes	en
dc.subject.other	Hydrometallurgy	en
dc.subject.other	Iron	en
dc.subject.other	Leaching	en
dc.subject.other	Lead	en
dc.subject.other	Magnesium	en
dc.subject.other	Manganese	en
dc.subject.other	Manganese compounds	en
dc.subject.other	Metal refining	en
dc.subject.other	Minerals	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel alloys	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel metallurgy	en
dc.subject.other	Nickel oxide	en
dc.subject.other	Ores	en
dc.subject.other	pH	en
dc.subject.other	Soils	en
dc.subject.other	Solutions	en
dc.subject.other	Solvent extraction	en
dc.subject.other	Solvents	en
dc.subject.other	Stainless steel	en
dc.subject.other	Stripping (dyes)	en
dc.subject.other	Sulfate minerals	en
dc.subject.other	Sulfuric acid	en
dc.subject.other	Metal recovery	en
dc.title	Hydrometallurgical process for the separation and recovery of nickel from sulphate heap leach liquor of nickeliferrous laterite ores	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1016/j.mineng.2009.06.006	en
heal.identifier.secondary	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2009.06.006	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	2009	en
heal.abstract	The Laboratory of Metallurgy of the National Technical University of Athens has developed and patented a novel integrated hydrometallurgical method, suitable to treat low-grade nickel oxide ores efficiently and economically. It involves heap leaching of the ore by dilute sulphuric acid at ambient temperature, purification of the leach liquor and recovery of nickel and cobalt by electrowinning. A typical composition of the pregnant solution produced from heap leaching is the following: Ni2+ = 5 g/L, Co2+ = 0.3 g/L, Fe3+ = 23.0 g/L, Al3+ = 6.0 g/L, Cr3+ = 1.0 g/L, Mn2+ = 1 g/L and Mg2+ = 8 g/L. The proposed hydrometallurgical process for nickel recovery from real sulphate heap leach liquors consists of the following six (6) unit operations: (1) Removal of iron, aluminium and chromium, as easily filterable crystalline basic sulphate salts of the jarosite-alunite type, at atmospheric pressure, by chemical precipitation at pH: 3.5 and 95 degrees C. (2) Cobalt, manganese and magnesium extraction over nickel by Cyanex 272 at pH: 5.5, T: 40 degrees C, with 20% extractant concentration and stripping of the loaded organic phase at T: 40 degrees C with diluted H2SO4 (4 M). (3) Nickel concentration by solvent extraction using Cyanex 272 at pH: 7.5, T: 40 degrees C, with 10% extractant concentration and stripping of the loaded organic phase by nickel spent electrolyte (55.45 g/L Ni) at T: 40 degrees C with diluted H2SO4 (2 M). (4) Nickel electrowinning from sulphate solutions, using stainless steel as cathode and Pb-8%Sb as anode. The pH of the electrolyte (10 g/L H3BO3, 75.95 g/L Ni2+ and 130 g/L Na2SO4) was adjusted at 3.5 and at 60 degrees C, while the current density was kept constant at 20 mA/cm(2). (5) Cobalt and manganese extraction over magnesium by Cyanex 302 at pH: (5.0), T: 40 degrees C, with 20% extractant concentration and stripping of the loaded organic phase at T: 40 degrees C with diluted H2SO4 (1 M). (6) Removal of magnesium by chemical precipitation (as brucite), using Ca(OH)(2) as neutralizing agent, at atmospheric pressure, pH = 10 and 25 degrees C. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.	en
heal.publisher	PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD	en
heal.journalName	Minerals Engineering	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1016/j.mineng.2009.06.006	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000273496100001	en
dc.identifier.volume	22	en
dc.identifier.issue	14	en
dc.identifier.spage	1181	en
dc.identifier.epage	1192	en