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Influence of Alkali Salts on Extraction of Nickel From Serpentine-Rich Ore Through Sulfation Roasting Leaching Process

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Abstract

The sulfation roasting leaching method has been developed for the recovery of nickel from laterite ore because it offers greater flexibility, and requires less energy compared to acid leaching and smelting processes. However, the previous studies found that the mineral carriers from saprolite ore affected the recovery of nickel and cobalt. To address this issue, alkali salts such as Na2SO4, K2SO4, (NH4)2SO4 and NaCl have been introduced into the sulfation roasting leaching process due to their high reactivity with nickel and cobalt at elevated temperatures. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of adding various alkali salts on the recovery of nickel and cobalt from saprolite ore in sulfation roasting leaching process. Under optimized condition of sulfation with 0.8 mL H2SO4/g ore mixed with 40 wt% moisture followed by roasting at 700 °C for 30 min and leaching at 80 °C for 30 min, the results showed that the highest recovery of 90% nickel was achieved by addition of 5 wt% Na2SO4. Other alkali salts exhibited positive effects on the increased recovery of nickel during sulfation roasting leaching process. Based on the results, the mechanism of alkali salts on increase in the recovery of nickel during this process was proposed in terms of detailed characterization by X-Ray Diffraction and thermal analyses. The addition of alkali salts played important role in promoting the sulfation of metal oxide by forming liquid pyrosulfate as an intermediate phase at elevated temperatures, which penetrated into sulphated ore, and provided more sulfuric trioxide gas to form more sulfates. This approach may serve as an alternative means of enhancing the formation of sulfates in the sulfation roasting leaching process.

Graphical Abstract

Illustrated mechanism of adding Na2SO4 and K2SO4 to sulfation roasting process

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology (GIFT), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Korea

    Rachman Kurnia Suko Hariyanto, Leonardo Tomas da Rocha , Seong-Jin Kim & Sung-Mo Jung

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  1. Rachman Kurnia Suko Hariyanto
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  2. Leonardo Tomas da Rocha
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Hariyanto, R.K.S., Tomas da Rocha , L., Kim, SJ. et al. Influence of Alkali Salts on Extraction of Nickel From Serpentine-Rich Ore Through Sulfation Roasting Leaching Process. J. Sustain. Metall. 9, 1636–1646 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-023-00753-7

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