Influence of mineral composition on rheology and acid leaching behaviour of mixed oxide and clay minerals
Date
2013
Authors
MacCarthy, J.
Nosrati, A.
Skinner, W.
Addai Mensah, J.
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Conference paper
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2013 Chemeca proceedings: Challenging Tomorrow, 2013, pp.448-453
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2013 Chemeca (29 Sep 2013 : Brisbane, Australia)
Abstract
The presence of reactive gangue mineral hosts (e.g., aluminosilicate clays, oxides) in complex, low grade ores often poses intractable hydrometallurgical challenges such as poor 'processability', high reagent (e.g., acid) consumption and low recoveries of values. In this paper, the influential role of pulp composition/chemistry on isothermal, batch, H2SO4 acid leaching behaviour and shear rheology of mixed model oxide (goethite, hematite, quartz) and clay (kaolinite, smectite) minerals, mimicking real goethitic-and hematitic-nickel laterite ores, was investigated using 57 wt.% solid dispersions at pH 1 and 70 C over 4 h. All dispersions exhibited non-Newtonian, timedependent behaviour. The hematite-based dispersion exhibited low yield stress (< 10 Pa) and viscosity (< 20 mPa∙s) which decreased with time. In contrast, the shear yield stress and viscosity of the goethite-rich pulps were greater and these increased with time. The acid consumption and leaching rates of the hematite-based feed were lower than the goethite-based feeds, reflecting the greater acid-reactivity of the latter. The results show that the behaviour of the mixed mineral dispersions depends on the dominant gangue minerals present. The findings can be used to benchmark the leaching and rheological behaviour of real iron oxide-rich limonitic laterite ores.
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Copyright 2013 Engineers Australia