Laboratory Testing & General Mineral Processing Engineering

Laboratory Testing & General Mineral Processing Engineering

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Pig iron from pre-reduced low grade nickel laterite using EAF (1 reply)

m
novice0812
7 years ago
novice0812 7 years ago

I have joined a new company and they have conducted a research on upgrading the Ni, Fe and Cr grades of a low grade  laterite ore through reduction roasting. Initially the samples were agglomerated with the addition of coal as reductant and the resulting pellets were fed in a rotary kiln at 900 C with addition of 15% coal (reductant) and lime (flux) for an hour, then water quenching was conducted right after roasting to prevent re-oxidation. The products of the process were checked for %Fe and were subjected to crushing and magnetic separation to further increase the grades of Fe and Ni. Cr in the form of Cr2O3 were concentrated using tabling, in which the feed came from the tailings of the magnetic separator. Based on the experiment conducted, the process significantly increase the grades of the above mentioned elements: Fe grade from 44% to 60, % Ni  increased from 0.98% to 1.2% and % Cr2O3 increased from 1.7% to 2.4%. 

It is planned to continue the research by feeding the final products to an EAF (laboratory -scale) and produce a pig iron / nickel pig iron, with this I would like to ask your opinion for a methodology and operating parameters (temperature for EAF, time, catalyst, flux, etc) to make the research a success. I have read some related literature but I still cannot find what I am looking for. I am new in the process and it is a challenge to me. I hope you can help me. 

 

M
inOr
7 years ago
inOr 7 years ago

Don't some mines produce beneficiated products called "ferronickel" and "ferrochrome"?  I believe they result from mining just the sort of ores you mention.  Mixtures of iron and chrome from chromite - FeCr2O - and mixtures of iron and nickel compounds such as yours.  I believe they are used to make stainless steel alloys.  If there is such a market for your product, then maybe you won't have to separate the elements by magnetic separation, tabling, etc.  

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