Recent advances in agglomeration of nickel laterite ores for enhanced heap leaching
Date
2013
Authors
Nosrati, A.
Quast, K.
Xu, D.
Skinner, W.
Robinson, D.J.
Addai Mensah, J.
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Conference paper
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2013 Chemeca proceedings: Challenging Tomorrow, 2013, pp.413-421
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2013 Chemeca (29 Sep 2013 - 2 Oct 2013 : Brisbane, Australia)
Abstract
Nickel (Ni) laterites account for about 60-70% of the world's nickel mineralization. The processing of low grade (e.g., 1% Ni) laterite ores is favored by the use of the more cost-effective hydrometallurgical techniques (e.g., atmospheric agitated tank or heap leaching) instead of smelting. Application of heap leaching which boasts of low capital and operating expenditures, however, is very limited due to intractable challenges such as poor heap porosity/permeability associated with most laterite feed ores. Feed particles' agglomeration into robust and porous granules of right size range enables permeable and geotechnically stable bed required for successful heap leaching to be constructed. In this paper, several basic and applied studies of the agglomeration and column leaching behaviour of real Ni laterite ores are reported. The work involved isothermal, batch agglomeration tests carried out to produce 5 - 40 mm agglomerates which were well characterized and subjected to >100 days of laboratory column leaching. The effect of feed ore characteristics (e.g., mineralogy/chemistry and primary particle size distribution) on binder dosage, agglomeration behaviour and agglomerate bed column leaching behaviour was investigated through several characterization techniques including agglomerate size, compressive strength, 3D micro-structure analyses and laboratory column leaching tests. Links between feed mineralogy/chemistry and size, binder formulation/dosage, agglomeration behaviour, final agglomerate properties and leaching behaviour are established. The significance of the findings to Ni laterite plant agglomeration for enhanced heap leaching is discussed.
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Copyright 2013 Engineers Australia