High-pressure acid leaching of laterite ores: Effect of acid and solid content on Ni and Co yield under non-isothermal and isothermal conditions

IF 4.8 2区材料科学 Q1 METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING

Hydrometallurgy Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106576

Okechukwu Vincent Dickson , Thomas Deleau , Fabienne Espitalier , Christophe Coquelet , Julien Lombart , Philippe Accart

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Abstract

The increasing demand for nickel (Ni) in electric vehicle batteries necessitates efficient extraction methods from laterite ores. High-Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) is a prominent hydrometallurgical technique known for its rapid kinetics and high (>90 %) metal dissolution. This study examines the influence of acid-to-ore (A/O) ratios (0.25, 0.35, and 0.45) and slurry solid contents (22, 26, and 30 wt.%) on Ni yield and selectivity under both non-isothermal (100 °C, 1.2 bar; 150 °C, 4.7 bar; 200 °C, 18.9 bar; 265 °C, 50.5 bar) and isothermal (265 °C) conditions.

Under non-isothermal conditions, Ni leaching efficiency improved with temperature, achieving a maximum yield of 94.67 ± 0.02 wt.% at 265 °C, compared to 50.86 ± 0.02 wt.% at 200 °C, using an A/O ratio of 0.45 and 26 wt.% solids over 60 min. Isothermal experiments at 265 °C revealed that higher A/O ratios enhanced Ni yield, reaching 94.45 ± 0.01 wt.% at 60 min with 26 wt.% solids and an A/O of 0.45. However, this increased yield was accompanied by higher dissolution of Fe (1.07 ± 0.12 wt.%) and Al (38.84 ± 0.07 wt.%), reducing selectivity to 0.73 ± 0.01. Conversely, an A/O ratio of 0.25 at 26 wt.% solids achieved a higher selectivity of 3.83 ± 0.05 but with a lower Ni yield of 79.14 ± 0.03 wt.%. Lower slurry solid content further improved Ni leaching; at 22 wt.% solids and an A/O of 0.45, Ni yield reached 95.87 ± 0.01 wt.% with a selectivity of 0.89 ± 0.02 at 60 min.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses of leached residues indicated that high temperatures facilitate the transformation of primary minerals like goethite and gibbsite into hematite and hydronium alunite. This transformation is more pronounced at higher A/O ratios, affecting the mineralogical composition of the post-leach solid residue.

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红土矿石高压酸浸：非等温和等温条件下酸和固含量对镍钴产量的影响

随着电动汽车电池对镍的需求不断增加，从红土矿石中提取镍的方法势在必行。高压酸浸（HPAL）是一种杰出的湿法冶金技术，以其快速动力学和高（> 90%）金属溶解而闻名。本研究考察了在非等温（100°C, 1.2 bar; 150°C, 4.7 bar; 200°C, 18.9 bar; 265°C, 50.5 bar）和等温（265°C）条件下酸矿（A/O）比（0.25、0.35和0.45）和矿浆固体含量（22、26和30 wt.%）对镍收率和选择性的影响。在非等温条件下，镍的浸出效率随着温度的升高而提高，在265℃时的最大产率为94.67±0.02 wt.%，而在200℃时，在a /O比为0.45和26 wt.%的固体条件下，60 min的浸出率为50.86±0.02 wt.%。265℃等温实验表明，较高的A/O比提高了Ni的产率，在26 wt.%的固体和0.45的A/O比下，60 min的产率达到94.45±0.01 wt.%。然而，产率的提高伴随着铁（1.07±0.12 wt.%）和铝（38.84±0.07 wt.%）的溶解，选择性降低到0.73±0.01。相反，当A/O比为0.25、固体含量为26 wt.%时，选择性为3.83±0.05，但Ni得率较低，为79.14±0.03 wt.%。较低的料浆固含量进一步改善了镍的浸出；在固体含量为22 wt.%、A/O为0.45的条件下，60 min镍得率为95.87±0.01 wt.%，选择性为0.89±0.02。对浸出渣的扫描电镜（SEM）和x射线衍射（XRD）分析表明，高温有利于针铁矿和三水铝石等原生矿物向赤铁矿和水合明矾石的转变。这种转变在较高的A/O比下更为明显，影响了浸出后固体残渣的矿物学组成。

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来源期刊

Hydrometallurgy 工程技术-冶金工程

CiteScore

9.50

自引率

6.40%

发文量

144

审稿时长

3.4 months

期刊介绍： Hydrometallurgy aims to compile studies on novel processes, process design, chemistry, modelling, control, economics and interfaces between unit operations, and to provide a forum for discussions on case histories and operational difficulties. Topics covered include: leaching of metal values by chemical reagents or bacterial action at ambient or elevated pressures and temperatures; separation of solids from leach liquors; removal of impurities and recovery of metal values by precipitation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, gaseous reduction, cementation, electro-winning and electro-refining; pre-treatment of ores by roasting or chemical treatments such as halogenation or reduction; recycling of reagents and treatment of effluents.