Agglomeration and Characterization of Nickel Concentrate (MHP) Pellets for Ferronickel Production
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Agglomeration and Characterization of Nickel Concentrate (MHP) Pellets for Ferronickel Production Rafael Piumatti de Oliveira 1,2
&
Ramiro da Conceição do Nascimento 3 & Horst Guenter Feldhagen 3
Received: 29 January 2019 / Accepted: 8 May 2020 # Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. 2020
Abstract Mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) is a nickel intermediate product that has economical benefits to downstream leaching of lateritic marginal ores. Usually, this product is subsequently processed and refined to produce nickel by hydrometallurgy, but an alternative route can be made integrating hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Assessing the overall consumption of ferroalloys to obtain stainless steel, as an increasing practice performed in China, the synergy of nickel extraction from laterites by leaching and precipitation as MHP with the production of MHP agglomerates applied as raw material to furnaces of ferronickel production is a very attractive practice. This work aims to further the technological development of an agglomerated product feasible to hydro-pyro integration. The agglomeration experiments were performed by traditional pelletizing (firing the pellets) and cold bonded pelletizing (aging the pellets by appropriate stocking). Appropriate compositions were prepared with MHP, additives and binders for each of these routes. A specific study of binder composition was made to find an adequate melting point. The produced pellets were tested to prove their properties by crushing strength tests. The standardization applied to iron ore was followed. The best result of crushing strength was 98.52 daN/pellet. The agglomerates with approved crushing strength for use in electric furnaces were smelted to produce alloys containing nickel; the agglomerates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The alloy obtained was metallic ferronickel with sulphide precipitates. Therefore, MHP pellets can be precursors of nickel alloys, which have to be refined to obtain the desirable composition. Keywords Agglomeration . Pelletizing . Nickel . MHP . Ferronickel
1 Introduction Ferroalloys and/or nickel pig iron produced from lateritic marginal ores were part of an adopted economic strategy to supply nickel demand, mainly in stainless steel production. In case of austenitic steels, raw materials represent about 70% of the total cost. With the cheap production of nickel pig iron, nickel addition to stainless steel making from this alloy turns cost effective [23]. According to USGS Survey Mineral Commodities Summaries (2019), about 60% of ore reserves are found in laterite ores and 40% in sulphides [27]. Historically production * Rafael Piumatti de Oliveira [email protected] 1
Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Espírito Santo (IFES), Vitória ES CEP: 29040-780, Brazil
2
University of São Paulo, Rua do Lago, 250, São Paulo SP CEP: 05508-080, Brazil
3
Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Espírito Santo (IFES), Vitória ES CEP: 29040-780, Brazil
was mainly
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