Nickel recovery in tailling from the Chromite beneficiation process in Mau Lam, Thanh Hoa by the reduction roasting-magnetic separation process
Affiliations:
1 Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Hanoi, Vietnam
2 Southern Branch of the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Minerals, Hochiminh City, Vietnam
- *Corresponding:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Received: 12th-Jan-2024
- Revised: 2nd-May-2024
- Accepted: 21st-May-2024
- Online: 1st-June-2024
- Section: Mining Engineering
Abstract:
In Thanh Hoa province, large chromite ore deposits were discovered. These types of ores also contain significant quantity of nickel metal, with total nickel reserves estimated to be over three million tones. According to the practices of mining and beneficiation of these chromite ores, nickel is discarded in the waste dumps as a non-valuable metal and has not been recovered ever. Through many years of mining and processing of chromite ores, large dumps are formed to such huge volumes that can be considered as a significantly secondary resource of valuable nickel metal. Nickel exists in the form of laterite ores so that it is difficult to be recovered. Currently, there is no commercial technology available for recovery of nickel or other valuable metals from this type of raw material sources. This article presents some research results on applying the reduction calcination – magnetic separation process for recovery of nickel. In particular, some important reduction operating variables such as temperature, calcination time, fuel coal ratio, and Na2SO4 additive were investigated. From the tailing samples of the Mau Lam – Thanh Hoa chromite beneficiation process, important optimal reducing conditions have been determined including 1,1000C of reduction temperature, 8% of anthracite coal, 8% of Na2SO4 additive, and the reduction time of 90 minutes. The reduced product was finely grounded and separated at a magnetic field of 0.3T using the wet magnetic separator. At optimal operating variables, the nickel content of the final nickel concentrate was 4.02% Ni and the overall nickel recovery was 91.2%. The positive results necessarily lead to a need to continue researching the possibility of practical application to recover nickel and thus contribute to the rational utilization of mineral resources of the country.
Dong, J., Wei, Y., Zhou, S., Li, B., Yang, Y., McLean,A. (2018). The Effect of Additives on Extraction of Ni, Fe and Co from Nickel Laterite Ores. JOM volume 70, pages 2365–2377.
Elliott, R. (2015). A Study on the Role of Sulphur in the Thermal Upgrading of Nickeliferous Laterite Ores. Ph.D. thesis, Queen’s University.
Gao, L., Liu, Z., Pan, Y., Ge, Y., Feng, C., Chu M., Tang J. (2019). Separation and Recovery of Iron and Nickel from Low-Grade Laterite Nickel Ore Using Reduction Roasting at Rotary Kiln Followed by Magnetic Separation Technique. Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration volume 36, pages 375–384.
Hoàng, V. K. và nnk. (2010). Kết quả nghiên cứu hoàn thiện quy trình công nghệ tuyển và sử dụng hợp lý quặng cromit Cổ Định, Thanh Hóa. Viện khoa học và Công nghệ Mỏ - Luyện kim, Mã số 2038.
Li, Y., Li, S., Han, Y. (2011). Deep reduction/magnetic separation of laterite for concentration of Ni and Fe. J Northeast Univ (Natural Science) 32:740–744.
Jiang, M., Sun, T., Liu, Z., Kou, Z., Liu, N., Zhang, S. (2013). Mechanism of sodium sulfate in promoting selective reduction of nickel laterite ore during reduction roasting process. International Journal of Mineral Processing Volume 123, Pages 32-38.
Nguyễn, K. G., Lê, T. D., Tô, X. B., Trần, V. Đ., Phạm, T. Đ. , Đinh, Đ. A. (2020). Đặc điểm phân bố và tiềm năng của cobalt và niken tại khu vực núi nưa – Thanh Hóa. Hội nghị toàn quốc khoa học trái đất và tài nguyên với phát triền bền vững ERSD 2020. Trang 47-52.
Trần,V.T., Phan,C.T., Lâm, T. Q. (2000). Tài nguyên Khoáng sản Việt Nam. Cục Địa chất và Khoáng sản Việt Nam-Viện nghiên cứu Địa chất và Khoáng sản. Hà Nội, 215 trang.
Vahed, A., Mackey, P.J. and Warner, A.E.M. (2021). “Around the Nikel World in Eighty Days”. A Virtual Tour of World Nikel Sulphide and Laterite Operations and Teachnologies. The 5th International Symposium on Nickel and Cobalt. Pages 3-39.
Xueming, L., Wei, L., Liu, M., You, Z., Xuewei, L., Bai, C. (2018). Effect of Sodium Sulfate on Preparation of Ferronickel from Nickel Laterite by Carbothermal Reduction. ISIJ International 58 (5): 799-807.
Other articles