Novel agglomeration process for nickel beneficiation

Novel agglomeration process for nickel beneficiation

1. PhD Student, ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2. Research Associate, ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3. Laureate Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Nickel beneficiation is greatly limited by the poor flotation kinetics of the fine particles and by the presence of magnesium silicate minerals that form slime coatings at the surface of the valuable mineral, leading to poor grades and recoveries. A novel agglomeration technique has been shown to overcome the hydrodynamic limits of ultrafine particle flotation, achieving rates two orders of magnitude higher than for conventional flotation. In this work, the application of the novel agglomeration process in recovering nickel from a complex sulphide ore rich in magnesium silicate gangue minerals was investigated. The effects of precise desliming of the feed prior to flotation and agglomeration were also investigated. Higher nickel recoveries were achieved using the novel agglomeration process compared to flotation. Desliming minimised the detrimental effects of the magnesium silicate gangue minerals on the separation performance.

Keywords: Nickel, agglomeration, water in oil emulsion