Method of liberating nickel- and cobalt-enriched fines from laterite
AssigneeCalifornia Nickel Corporation
InventorsE. Harris Lowenhaupt, John E. Litz, Dennis L. Howe
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Abstract
According to the present invention, Ni- and Co-rich, low Mg fines may be advantageously separated from the coarse fractions of lateritic ores by atmospheric or low pressure leaching. In particular, the process of the present invention comprises contacting a lateritic ore or ore fraction at temperatures from about 20.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. and pressures from about atmospheric to about 200 psig with an aqueous acid solution to form a leach liquor, a leach residue and a fines fraction. The fines fraction which can be separated from the residue with the leach liquor by conventional means such as cycloning is found to be richer in Ni and Co and lower than the remainder of the residue.
Claims11
A method of extracting nickel and cobalt from nickel;
- cobalt and magnesium-containing laterite ore comprising classifying said ore into a coarse, magnesium-rich fraction and a less coarse cobalt- and nickel-rich fraction, solubilizing said nickel and cobalt from said less coarse fraction into a pregnant liquor by a primary high pressure acid leach at a temperature of from about 200.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C., neutralizing said pregnant liquor and recovering said nickel and cobalt from said neutralized liquor, the improvement comprising leaching said coarse, magnesium-rich fraction at a temperature of below about 200.degree. C. to liberate magnesium-depleted, nickel- and cobalt-enriched fines, separating said fines from the remainder of said coarse fraction and advancing said fines to said high pressure leach.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.