Preconcentration strategies in the processing of nickel laterite ores part 3: Flotation testing
Date
2015
Authors
Quast, K.
Otsuki, A.
Fornasiero, D.
Robinson, D.
Addai-Mensah, J.
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Journal article
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Minerals Engineering, 2015; 79:279-286
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Abstract
The preconcentration of nickel (Ni) laterite ores ahead of Ni recovery by hydrometallurgical processingmakes good economic sense. Since Ni-bearing minerals are often finely disseminated through lateriteores, liberation of minerals either high and/or low in Ni content is a prerequisite prior to any form of separationprocess. It is the purpose of this paper to investigate the use of flotation to generate productseither high or low in Ni-bearing minerals from a sample of Ni laterite with the generic description of''siliceous goethitic''. Previous attempts showed that upgrading of Ni laterites has only been conductedin laboratory or pilot plant scale, not adopted commercially. A number of feed preparation techniquesahead of flotation were attempted at laboratory scale on a sample of Ni laterite containing predominantlygoethite and quartz. Flotation tests even on closely sized particles (38-75 lm) failed to yield significantNi upgrades using the reagents tested in this study, based on those used commercially for processing ironoxide ores. The best result was an increase in Ni content from 1.0% to 1.4% at a Ni recovery of 43%. Thiswas obtained using 400 g/t of an amine collector and 300 g/t of starch at pH 10 on a sample of hydrocycloneunderflow. This paper was designed to provide some lessons learnt for future researchers from laboratoryflotation testing of a complex Ni laterite ore.
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Copyright 2015 Elsevier