Methods for processing copper-nickel raw materials in the Arctic

• Published in: Journal of Mining and Metallurgy A: Mining
• Main Authors: Goryachev A., Makarov D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; srp
• Published: University of Belgrade, Technical Faculty Bor 2023
• Subjects: low-temperature roasting; heap leaching; sulfuric acid granulation; copper; nickel; arctic zone; Geology; QE1-996.5; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5937/JMMA2301025G; https://doaj.org/article/38f84fe2888b4879b74336241e9cc812

The different genesis of copper-nickel objects requires the use of different technologies for their enrichment. A scheme has been proposed for processing copper-nickel ore tailings, first by granulating the tailings with sulfuric acid, storing them at below-zero temperatures, and then followed by heap leaching of granules was proposed. The effect of different ratios of tailings to binder during granulation on the subsequent recovery of the metals was considered. At a ratio of S:L = 6:1, 44.4% nickel and 8.9% copper were recovered during the 40-day experiment. For ore processing, the efficiency of heap leaching with a 2% H2SO4 solution using technogenic ores from the Nud Terrasa was considered and Allarechensk deposits ores was studied, as no additional ore preparation was required. At the end of the experiment, 12.8% nickel and 10.2% copper were recovered from the Nud Terrasa ore, and 10.2% nickel and 4.4% copper were recovered from the ore of the Allarechensk technogenic deposit. The ore from the Nud II deposit and a rich sample of the Allarechensk ore were processed by low-temperature roasting with ammonium sulfate. From the ore of the Allarechensk technogenic deposit, 91.5% of nickel and 94.8% of copper were recovered. The results obtained may be of significant practical interest, especially in the Arctic zone.