Leaching efficiency for a new green-tech nickel recovery process has been increased by more than 65 per cent compared to traditional atmospheric acid leaching in trials conducted by innovative Perth-based minerals explorer Resource Mining Corporation (ASX:RMI) .
Key Facts
- New Organic Acid Leach Technology for Nickel Laterite Deposits
- Leaching efficiency increased by more than 65 per cent compared to traditional atmospheric leaching techniques
- Key outcomes of commercial laboratory scale test work
- Changes cost dynamics because smaller processing plant required
- Key research parameters include acid strength and free acid levels for optimum leaching, ore slurry density and residence time.
- Future testwork to cover commercialisation including organic acid recovery from the leachate after metal ions removed
The commercial laboratory scale test work has found the organic acid leaching process takes up to six hours compared to a up to 24 hours for a traditional inorganic acid operation.
The Wowo Gap saprolite with a nickel content in excess of 1.3 per cent has a leach time of less than eight hours before 80 per cent of the nickel is extracted compared to inorganic acid atmospheric methods where leach times are approximately 24 hours to extract similar quantities of Nickel.
Key parameters determined in the latest research include acid strength and free acid levels for optimum leaching, ore slurry density and residence time. Downstream processing testwork programs are being established for leached slurries to recover nickel and cobalt.