Per: PEDRO PAULO MEDEIROS RIBEIRO (UFRJ), Iranildes Daniel dos Santos (Instituto Tecnológico Vale/Vale S.A), Reiner Neumann (CETEM), Achilles Junqueira Bourdot Dutra (UFRJ)
Abstract:
A sample of nickel laterite ore from the northern region of Brazil was processed by hydro-pyrometallurgical route. The sample was pugged with sulfuric acid (50%, wt%) followed by 2-stages of heat treatment at 265°C and 780°C and aqueous leaching. The recoveries of nickel, cobalt, iron, and magnesium were 80.6%, 93.3%, 5.5% and 74.4%, respectively. Solid residues samples were characterized by X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and chemical analysis. The phase quantification was carried out by the Rietveld method, and it was observed that the main mineral phases present in the solid residues were hematite, quartz, goethite, chlorite, and chromite. It also was found that 92.1% of the residual nickel present in the solid residue was in the chlorite