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WO2024122482A1 - Procédé de fusion de minerai oxydé à base de nickel - Google Patents

Procédé de fusion de minerai oxydé à base de nickel Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024122482A1
WO2024122482A1 PCT/JP2023/043220 JP2023043220W WO2024122482A1 WO 2024122482 A1 WO2024122482 A1 WO 2024122482A1 JP 2023043220 W JP2023043220 W JP 2023043220W WO 2024122482 A1 WO2024122482 A1 WO 2024122482A1
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Prior art keywords
mixture
nickel
mass
ore
nickel oxide
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Japanese (ja)
Inventor
隆士 井関
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Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd
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Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B1/00—Preliminary treatment of ores or scrap
    • C22B1/14—Agglomerating; Briquetting; Binding; Granulating
    • C22B1/24—Binding; Briquetting ; Granulating
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B23/00—Obtaining nickel or cobalt
    • C22B23/02—Obtaining nickel or cobalt by dry processes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B5/00—General methods of reducing to metals
    • C22B5/02—Dry methods smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes
    • C22B5/10—Dry methods smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes by solid carbonaceous reducing agents

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for smelting nickel oxide ore.
  • Methods of smelting nickel oxide ores called limonite or saprolite include the dry smelting method, which uses a smelting furnace to roast and sulfurize the ore to produce nickel matte, the dry smelting method, which uses a rotary kiln or moving hearth furnace to reduce the ore with a carbonaceous reducing agent to produce an alloy containing nickel, and the wet smelting method, which uses an autoclave to leach nickel and cobalt with sulfuric acid, and then adds a sulfurizing agent to the leachate to produce a mixed sulfide.
  • the nickel metal produced by the reduction treatment is coarse. This is because if the nickel-containing metal is fine, for example on the order of a few tens of ⁇ m, it becomes difficult to separate it from the slag that is produced at the same time, and the nickel recovery rate (yield) drops significantly.
  • Patent Document 1 discloses a method for improving the productivity of nickel metal (granular metal) by heating pellets containing a metal oxide and a carbonaceous reducing agent in a melting furnace to reduce and melt the metal oxide, by adjusting the average diameter of the pellets supplied onto the hearth and controlling the spread density, calculated from the projected area ratio of the pellets onto the hearth when the pellets are heated on the hearth, to within a specific range.
  • Patent Document 1 entails problems such as the cost of producing pellets and the need to adjust the pellet density in the furnace to a specific range, which ultimately results in no improvement in productivity and high manufacturing costs for nickel metal.
  • the present invention has been proposed in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide a method for smelting nickel oxide ore that produces valuable metals by reducing a mixture containing nickel oxide ore, and that can efficiently produce valuable metals with high nickel content and good quality.
  • the inventors conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems. As a result, they discovered that by preparing a mixture of two or more types of nickel oxide ores, including at least limonite and saprolite, with a carbonaceous reducing agent, and then subjecting the mixture to a heating and reducing treatment, it is possible to effectively coarsen the resulting metal, thereby producing a high-quality metal with a high nickel content, and thus completing the present invention.
  • the first invention of the present invention is a method for smelting nickel oxide ore, comprising a mixture preparation step of preparing a mixture containing two or more types of nickel oxide ores and a carbonaceous reducing agent, a mixture forming step of forming pellets from the mixture, and a reduction treatment step of obtaining valuable metals containing nickel and slag by heating and reducing the obtained pellets, in which the mixture preparation step prepares a mixture using two or more types of nickel oxide ores including at least limonite ore and saprolite ore.
  • the second invention of the present invention is a method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to the first invention, in which in the mixture preparation step, the mixture is prepared so that the nickel content is 0.50 mass% or more and 2.20 mass% or less when the total amount of the nickel oxide ores is 100 mass%.
  • a third aspect of the present invention is a method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the mixture prepared in the mixture preparation step has an Fe2O3 content of 32.0 mass% or more and 73.0 mass% or less, an SiO2 content of 16.0 mass% or more and 40.0 mass% or less, and an MgO content of 5.0 mass% or more and 27.0 mass% or less, when the total amount of nickel oxide ores in the mixture is taken as 100 mass%.
  • the fourth invention of the present invention is a method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to any one of the first to third inventions, in which, in the mixture preparation step, the limonite ore is mixed in an amount of 3 mass% or more and 97 mass% or less when the total amount of the mixed nickel oxide ores is taken as 100 mass%.
  • the fifth invention of the present invention is a method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to any one of the first to third inventions, in which the reduction temperature in the reduction treatment step is 1300°C or higher and 1450°C or lower.
  • FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an example of a flow of a method for smelting nickel oxide ore.
  • the present embodiment a specific embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as “the present embodiment”) will be described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.
  • the expression "X to Y" (X and Y are arbitrary numbers) means "X or more and Y or less.”
  • the nickel oxide ore smelting method according to this embodiment is a method for producing valuable metals containing nickel by producing pellets from a mixture containing nickel oxide ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent, and then heating and reducing the pellets.
  • this smelting method includes a mixture preparation process in which a mixture containing two or more types of nickel oxide ores and a carbonaceous reducing agent is prepared, a mixture forming process in which the mixture is formed into pellets, and a reduction process in which the obtained pellets are heated and reduced to obtain valuable metals containing nickel and slag.
  • the mixture preparation step is characterized in that the mixture is prepared using at least two or more types of nickel oxide ores including limonite and saprolite.
  • the limonite ore is preferably mixed in an amount of 3 mass% or more and 97 mass% or less, and more preferably in an amount of 25 mass% or more and 75 mass% or less.
  • the metal produced by the heating and reducing treatment is more likely to aggregate, effectively coarsening the metal. This further improves the nickel recovery rate.
  • nickel oxide ores when it comes to nickel oxide ores, saprolite ore has a higher nickel grade (nickel content) than limonite ore.
  • nickel grade nickel content
  • limonite ore the nickel grade
  • FIG 1 is a process diagram showing an example of the flow of a nickel oxide ore smelting method according to this embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as "this smelting method").
  • this smelting method includes a mixture preparation process S1 for preparing a mixture, a mixture forming process S2 for forming the mixture into pellets, a reduction treatment process S3 for heating and reducing the pellets, and a recovery process S4 for recovering valuable metals from the resulting reduction product.
  • the mixture preparation step S1 is a step of preparing a mixture by mixing two or more kinds of nickel oxide ores and a carbonaceous reducing agent while adding an appropriate amount of water.
  • the smelting method is characterized in that the mixture is prepared using two or more kinds of oxide ores including at least limonite and saprolite as the nickel oxide ores, which are raw materials.
  • Table 1 below shows an example of the composition (mass%) of limonite ore and saprolite ore.
  • Table 2 below shows an example of the composition (mass%) of nickel oxide ore, carbonaceous reducing agent, and iron ore (described below) used in preparing the mixture. Note that the composition of nickel oxide ore, etc. is not limited to this.
  • nickel oxide ore The nickel oxide ore is not particularly limited as long as it is an ore containing nickel as nickel oxide, but in the present smelting method, at least two types of ores, limonite ore and saprolite ore, are used. In addition, as long as limonite ore and saprolite ore are used, other types of nickel oxide ores may be used in combination.
  • these nickel oxide ores contain iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ), silica (SiO 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), and the like as typical components.
  • the mixing ratio of the essential ores, limonite ore and saprolite ore is not particularly limited. It is also possible to mix in more saprolite ore, or more limonite ore.
  • the nickel (Ni) content differs between limonite ore and saprolite ore, with saprolite ore having a higher nickel content than limonite ore. Therefore, by preparing a mixture using two or more types of nickel oxide ores with different nickel contents, the nickel content of the mixture can be accurately and easily adjusted, and the slag softening point temperature can also be adjusted. This makes it possible to improve the nickel metallization rate and nickel recovery rate in the valuable metals produced through the heating and reduction process.
  • the valuable metal containing nickel produced through the heating and reduction process is coarsened, resulting in metal with a large average particle size. This is presumably because by mixing two or more types of nickel oxide ores to prepare a mixture and then heating and reducing it, the slag softening point can be lowered more efficiently, making it easier for the produced metal to aggregate.
  • the metal can be effectively coarsened, which can further improve the nickel recovery rate.
  • the mixture in this smelting method, may be prepared so that the nickel content is 0.50 mass% or more when the total amount of nickel oxide ores in the mixture is 100 mass%.
  • the upper limit of the nickel content of the mixture may be 2.20 mass% or less, preferably 1.80 mass% or less.
  • the nickel content in the mixture is adjusted, if the nickel content in the mixture is less than 0.50% by mass, the amount of metal generated by reduction will be small due to the small amount of nickel, so the metal will not coarsen and the nickel recovery rate will also decrease. Note that even if the nickel content is higher than a certain level, the metal will not coarsen any further and the nickel recovery rate will not increase. For this reason, the nickel content is preferably 2.20% by mass or less, and more preferably 1.80% by mass or less.
  • the mixture to be prepared may have an Fe2O3 content of 32.0% by mass to 73.0% by mass, an SiO2 content of 16.0% by mass to 40.0% by mass, and an MgO content of 5.0% by mass to 27.0% by mass, when the total amount of nickel oxide ores in the mixture is taken as 100% by mass.
  • the slag softening point temperature can be kept in an appropriate range, and nickel can be smelted efficiently. This can increase the nickel grade of valuable metals, and can also coarsen the metal to improve the nickel recovery rate.
  • the slag softening point becomes too high, making it difficult to proceed with the reduction, and the generated metal does not become coarse, resulting in a decrease in the nickel recovery rate. Also, if the composition of the mixture is outside the above-mentioned range and the slag softening point becomes too low, the slag may seep into the hearth of the reduction furnace, causing damage to the hearth and making it difficult to recover the metal.
  • the mixing ratio of limonite ore and saprolite ore is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to mix them so that the limonite ore is 3% by mass or more and 97% by mass or less when the total of the mixed nickel oxide ores is 100% by mass. It is more preferable that the limonite ore is 10% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, and even more preferable that the limonite ore is 20% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less.
  • the nickel-containing metal can be coarsened even more effectively and efficiently.
  • the size of the nickel oxide ore to be mixed is not particularly limited as long as it does not affect the shaping of the mixture.
  • a particle size of about 0.01 mm to 20 mm is preferable, about 0.01 to 10 mm is more preferable, and about 0.02 to 5 mm is particularly preferable.
  • the particle size of the nickel oxide ore may be the particle size of a single particle, or may be the particle size of an agglomerated particle formed by agglomeration of single particles.
  • a sieve mesh opening 0.1 mm
  • powdered nickel oxide ore that has passed through the sieve particles size (long diameter of the particle) is about 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm) can be obtained.
  • the carbonaceous reducing agent constitutes a mixture together with the nickel oxide ore described above, and acts as a reducing agent when the mixture is molded into pellets and then heated and reduced.
  • Specific examples of the carbonaceous reducing agent include coal powder and coke powder.
  • a part or the whole of the carbonaceous reducing agent may be composed of a plant-derived component, such as starch or charcoal.
  • a carbonaceous reducing agent with a particle size and particle size distribution similar to that of the raw material nickel oxide ore. Such a size makes it easier to mix uniformly and makes it easier for the reduction reaction to proceed uniformly.
  • the mixing ratio of the carbonaceous reducing agent is 50% or less, assuming that the amount of carbonaceous reducing agent required to reduce the nickel oxide, cobalt oxide, and iron oxide that make up the nickel oxide ore without excess or deficiency is 100%. Also, it is preferably 40% or less.
  • the amount of carbonaceous reducing agent required to reduce nickel oxide, cobalt oxide, and iron oxide without excess or deficiency is defined as the sum of the chemical equivalents required to reduce the total amount of nickel oxide and cobalt oxide contained in the pellets obtained by molding the mixture in the reduction treatment step S3 described below to nickel metal and cobalt metal, respectively, and the chemical equivalent required to reduce the iron oxide contained in the pellets to iron metal (hereinafter also referred to as the "total value of chemical equivalents").
  • the lower limit of the amount of carbonaceous reducing agent mixed is not particularly limited, but for example, when the total value of the above-mentioned chemical equivalents is taken as 100%, it is preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 23% or more.
  • the mixing ratio of the carbonaceous reducing agent in the mixture preparation step S1 to a ratio of 20% to 50% when the total value of the chemical equivalents is taken as 100%, the reduction reaction in the reduction treatment step S3 can be efficiently carried out. This allows for the efficient production of valuable metals with a high nickel content, and increases the nickel recovery rate.
  • the mixing ratio (%) of the carbonaceous reducing agent may be expressed in units of molar ratio or mass ratio. In other words, the mixing ratio (%) of the carbonaceous reducing agent may be within the above range in terms of molar ratio or mass ratio.
  • mixture preparation step S1 in addition to the nickel oxide ore and the carbonaceous reducing agent, iron ore, a flux component, a binder, and other components may be mixed to prepare the mixture.
  • iron ore that can be used include iron ore with an iron content of about 50% by mass or more, and hematite obtained by hydrometallurgy of nickel oxide ore.
  • Flux components include, for example, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, silicon dioxide, etc.
  • binders examples include bentonite, polysaccharides, resins, water glass, and dehydrated cake.
  • the size of these components is not particularly limited as long as it does not affect the molding of the mixture, but it is preferable that they are approximately the same size as nickel oxide ore. Specifically, it is preferable that the particle size be 0.01 mm to 20 mm.
  • the method for mixing the nickel oxide ore, etc. is not particularly limited.
  • the mixture can be prepared by mixing using a commercially available mixer.
  • kneading may be performed simultaneously to improve mixability, or after mixing. Kneading can be performed using a batch kneader such as a Brabender, a Banbury mixer, a Henschel mixer, a helical rotor, a roll, a single-shaft kneader, or a twin-shaft kneader.
  • a shear force is applied to the mixture, which breaks down agglomerations of the carbonaceous reducing agent and powdered nickel oxide ore, allowing for uniform mixing, improving the adhesion of each particle, and reducing voids. This makes the reduction reaction easier to occur and allows the reaction to occur uniformly, shortening the reaction time for the reduction reaction. It also reduces quality variation.
  • the shape of the pellets to be molded is not particularly limited, so long as they can be stacked on the hearth of the reduction furnace used in the reduction treatment step S3 described below.
  • they can be elliptical, cubic, rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical. These shapes are simple and not complicated, so molding costs can be kept low. Furthermore, the occurrence of defective products can be reduced, and the quality of the obtained molded products (pellets) can be made uniform, so a decrease in yield can be suppressed. Furthermore, strength can be easily maintained.
  • the pellet shape is preferably spherical.
  • the heating and reduction process can be performed uniformly, resulting in smelting with less variation and high productivity.
  • the diameter can be, for example, about 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less.
  • the inner length and width dimensions can be approximately 500 mm or less.
  • the size of the pellet is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the pellet volume is 8000 mm3 or more. By making the pellet volume 8000 mm3 or more, the molding cost can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the ratio of the surface area of the pellet to the entire pellet is low, the heating and reduction process is uniformly performed, and smelting with less variation and high productivity can be performed.
  • the method of molding the mixture into pellets is not particularly limited.
  • a molding device such as a briquetting device, pelletizer, or extruder can be used to mold the mixture into a molded product (pellets).
  • the molding device it is preferable to use a device that can knead and mold the mixture at high pressure and high shear force. Kneading the mixture at high pressure and high shear can break up agglomerations in the mixture, and can effectively knead the mixture, while also increasing the strength of the molded product obtained. It is also possible to mold the mixture using a briquette press.
  • the device can be selected appropriately taking into consideration the equipment, strength of the molded product, yield, etc.
  • the mixture molding process S2 may include a drying process for drying the molded pellets.
  • Pellets may contain an excessive amount of moisture, for example, about 50% by mass. If the pellets contain excessive moisture, when they are suddenly heated in the heating reduction process described below, the moisture inside may vaporize all at once, causing them to expand and break. For this reason, it is preferable to subject the molded pellets to a drying process for drying treatment.
  • the pellets are dried so that the solid content is about 60% by mass or more and the moisture content is about 40% by mass or less. More preferably, the pellets are dried so that the moisture content is about 30% by mass or less.
  • the drying process there are no particular limitations on the drying process, so long as the moisture content of the pellets is approximately 30% by mass or less.
  • the pellets can be dried by blowing hot air at 70°C to 400°C onto them.
  • the temperature of the pellets during the drying process is maintained below 100°C, it is possible to dry the pellets while preventing them from being destroyed during the process.
  • pellets when drying large pellets, it is acceptable for them to have cracks or breaks before or after drying.
  • pellets When pellets have a large volume, they melt and shrink during heating and reduction, which often results in cracks and breaks, but the impact of the increase in surface area caused by the cracks and breaks is minimal, so it is unlikely to cause any major problems.
  • the pellets are designed in a way that will not cause damage, it goes without saying that the drying process can be omitted.
  • Table 3 below shows an example of the solid composition (mass%) of the pellets after drying. Note that the pellet composition is not limited to this.
  • the drying process may be carried out continuously in one go, or in multiple separate steps. By carrying out the drying process in multiple separate steps, pellet bursting can be more effectively prevented.
  • the drying temperature from the second step onwards is preferably 150°C or higher and 400°C or lower. Drying within this range makes it possible to dry without the reduction reaction proceeding.
  • the reduction process S3 is a process in which the pellets obtained in the mixture molding process S2 are charged into a reduction furnace (smelting furnace) and heated to a predetermined temperature for reduction (heat reduction process). This heat reduction process produces a reduced product containing valuable metals, which are nickel-based alloys (e.g., ferronickel) containing nickel, and slag.
  • nickel-based alloys e.g., ferronickel
  • the method of heating the pellets loaded into the reduction furnace is not particularly limited.
  • the pellets are stacked on the hearth of the reduction furnace, and the stack of pellets is heated.
  • a bedding material such as alumina particles may be laid on the hearth, and the pellets may then be placed on top of the bedding material.
  • the heating temperature is not particularly limited.
  • the temperature is preferably about 1300°C to 1450°C, and more preferably about 1300°C to 1400°C.
  • the heating reduction process time is also not particularly limited.
  • the process time can be set according to the temperature of the reduction furnace, for example. For example, it is preferably 10 minutes or more, and more preferably 15 minutes or more.
  • the upper limit of the process time is preferably 50 minutes or less, and more preferably 40 minutes or less, from the viewpoint of suppressing an increase in manufacturing costs.
  • a mixture is prepared using two or more types of nickel oxide ores, including at least limonite and saprolite, and pellets are made from the mixture to be subjected to the heating and reduction process.
  • Such pellets can be adjusted to have a high nickel content, and even when the ore is based on a very low nickel content of, for example, 1% by mass or less, nickel can be recovered efficiently with a high nickel recovery rate.
  • nickel can be recovered efficiently and with a high nickel recovery rate even when the base ore is an ore with a very low nickel content of, for example, 1 mass% or less.
  • the nickel content in the mixture is adjusted, it is preferable that the nickel content in the mixture to be prepared be 0.70 mass% or more and 1.80 mass% or less.
  • the Fe 2 O 3 content and the MgO content in the mixture are adjusted, as described above, two or more types of nickel oxide ores and a carbonaceous reductant are mixed to prepare a mixture, and the composition of the mixture is prepared so that, when the total amount of nickel oxide ores in the mixture is 100 mass%, the Fe 2 O 3 content is 32.0 mass% or more and 73.0 mass% or less, the SiO 2 content is 16.0 mass% or more and 40.0 mass% or less, and the MgO content is 5.0 mass% or more and 27.0 mass% or less.
  • nickel can be recovered efficiently and with a high nickel recovery rate, even when the ore has a very low nickel content of, for example, 1 mass% or less, as the base.
  • the slag softening point temperature can be adjusted compared to when a single ore is used as raw material. That is, for example, if the softening point temperature of a single ore is high, mixing other types of ores to lower the softening point temperature makes it easier for the generated metal to aggregate and coarsen the metal. This improves the nickel recovery rate. Conversely, if the softening point temperature is low and the slag seeps into the hearth and damages it, mixing other types of ores to raise the softening point temperature can prevent the slag from seeping into the hearth.
  • the reduction reaction of nickel oxide (nickel oxide) and iron oxide (iron oxide) progresses on the surface of the pellet. Then, in just one to several minutes from the start of the reaction, the nickel oxide and some of the iron oxide contained in the pellet are reduced and metallized on the surface of the pellet, forming a shell (hereinafter also referred to as the "shell") which is nickel metal or an alloy of iron and nickel. As described above, this pellet contains two or more types of nickel oxide ore, so nickel is present in a high-grade state (mass%).
  • valuable metals of iron and nickel for example, alloys of iron and nickel
  • the shell is formed, and as the temperature rises, they become molten and flow through the gaps in the slag, coagulating to form valuable metals with large particle sizes.
  • the heating and reduction process can agglomerate alloys (metals) such as iron-nickel within the pellets, making it possible to form and recover valuable metals with larger particle sizes than with typical nickel oxide ore smelting methods.
  • the valuable metals obtained by this smelting method are of high purity, so they can be effectively used, for example, as raw materials for producing ferronickel.
  • a carbonaceous reducing agent may be added as a reducing agent.
  • the proportion of the carbonaceous reducing agent to be added is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, in the range of 1% by mass to 30% by mass, assuming that the carbonaceous reducing agent contained in the pellets to be subjected to the thermal reduction process is 100% by mass.
  • the reduction furnace used for the heating reduction process is not particularly limited, and furnaces such as rotary hearth furnaces and moving hearth furnaces can be used.
  • the pellet stack becomes a mixture (reduced product) of large lumps of metal and slag.
  • a heating and reduction process large lumps of metal are more likely to form. This reduces the effort required to recover the pellets from the reduction furnace, and effectively prevents any decline in the metal recovery rate (nickel recovery rate).
  • the volume of the resulting mixture shrinks to about 50% to 60% by volume compared to the pellet stack that is charged.
  • the recovery step S4 is a step of recovering the valuable metal generated in the reduction treatment step S3. Specifically, in the recovery step S4, the valuable metal phase is separated and recovered from a reduction product obtained by the thermal reduction treatment of the pellets, the reduction product including a valuable metal phase (solid phase of valuable metal) and a slag phase (solid phase of slag).
  • the recovery method is not particularly limited as long as the valuable metals can be separated and recovered from the reduced material.
  • methods for separating the valuable metal phase and the slag phase from the reduced material obtained as a solid can include removing unnecessary materials by sieving, as well as separation by specific gravity and separation by magnetic force.
  • this smelting method can obtain valuable metals that are coarse and have a large average particle size, so that the valuable metal phase and slag phase can be easily separated by applying an impact to the reduced material. Moreover, since the obtained valuable metal phase and slag phase have poor wettability, the two can be easily separated. Examples of methods for separating the two by applying vibration include dropping the reduced material from a position with a specified drop, or applying a specified vibration when sieving.
  • the nickel content was 0.75 mass% for limonite ore and 1.52 mass% for saprolite ore.
  • the carbonaceous reducing agent used was coal powder with an average particle size of approximately 145 ⁇ m (carbon content: 53 wt%).
  • the average particle size of the nickel oxide ore and the carbonaceous reducing agent was measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device.
  • the carbonaceous reducing agent was mixed in an amount of 38% when the amount required for reducing the nickel oxide (NiO) and iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) contained in the nickel oxide ore, which is the raw material ore, without excess or deficiency, was taken as 100%.
  • the prepared mixture was molded into cylindrical pellets using a pelletizer.
  • the obtained pellets were sieved to produce pellets with a diameter of 15 ⁇ 2 mm.
  • the prepared pellets were dried by blowing hot nitrogen air at 150°C to 200°C to a solid content of about 70% by mass and a moisture content of about 25% by mass.
  • Alumina particles were spread on the hearth, the pellets were placed on top of that, and a heating and reduction treatment was carried out.
  • the heating and reduction treatment was carried out under the temperature ("Reduction temperature” in the table) and time ("Reduction time” in the table) conditions shown in Table 4 below. After the reduction treatment, the pellets were quickly cooled to room temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere and removed from the furnace.
  • the reduction product contains valuable metals and slag, so the valuable metals were separated and collected from the reduction product. Specifically, after the reduction product was pulverized, the pulverized product was magnetically separated using a magnetic separator, and the slag containing magnesium oxide, silica, etc. was separated as non-magnetic matter, and the valuable metals containing valuable components such as nickel were separated as magnetic matter and collected.
  • the metal recovery rate was calculated from the raw material content in the pellet stack charged into the reduction furnace, the nickel content in the raw material, and the amount of recovered nickel metal.
  • the average particle size of the recovered valuable metals was also measured using an X-ray CT scanner (manufactured by Rigaku Corporation).
  • Comparative Examples 1-1 and 1-2 which used only a single ore, all items were lower than in the Examples, and the average particle size of the generated metal was also smaller.
  • Second Embodiment (Mixture preparation process) Limonite and saprolite ores were prepared as nickel oxide ores, and coal was prepared as a carbonaceous reductant, and mixed in a mixer while adding an appropriate amount of water. During mixing, the mixing ratio of the two types of nickel oxide ores was changed to prepare mixtures with nickel contents shown in Table 5 below.
  • the carbonaceous reducing agent was mixed in an amount of 38% when the amount required for reducing the nickel oxide (NiO) and iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) contained in the nickel oxide ore, which is the raw material ore, without excess or deficiency, was taken as 100%.
  • pellets with a diameter of 15 ⁇ 2 mm were prepared and dried to a solid content of about 70% by mass and a moisture content of about 25% by mass.
  • the reduced product removed from the furnace was measured for nickel metallization rate and nickel content in the metal, in the same manner as in the mixture forming process of the first embodiment described above.
  • Metal recovery process As in the metal recovery process of the first embodiment described above, valuable metals were separated, sorted and recovered from the reduction treatment product, and the metal recovery rate was calculated from the raw material content in the pellet stack charged into the reduction furnace, the nickel content in the raw material, and the amount of recovered nickel metal.
  • the nickel content in the mixture prepared in Example 2-3 was different from that in Example 2-4, there was almost no difference in the results. From this, it can be seen that the nickel content in the mixture to be prepared should preferably be increased to about 1.8 mass%.
  • Comparative Example 2-1 where the nickel content in the mixture was less than 0.50 mass%, all items were lower than those in the Examples, and the average particle size of the generated metal was also smaller.
  • the nickel content was 0.75 mass% for limonite ore and 1.52 mass% for saprolite ore.
  • the carbonaceous reducing agent used was coal powder with an average particle size of approximately 145 ⁇ m (carbon content: 53 wt%).
  • the average particle size of the nickel oxide ore and the carbonaceous reducing agent was measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device.
  • the carbonaceous reducing agent was mixed in an amount of 38% when the amount required for reducing the nickel oxide (NiO) and iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) contained in the nickel oxide ore, which is the raw material ore, without excess or deficiency, was taken as 100%.
  • Matture molding process Similar to the mixture molding process of the first or second embodiment described above, pellets having a diameter of 15 ⁇ 2 mm were prepared and subjected to a drying treatment so that the solid content was about 70% by mass and the moisture content was about 25% by mass.
  • Reduction treatment step As in the reduction process of the first or second embodiment, the prepared pellets (dried pellets) were placed in a reduction furnace with a nitrogen atmosphere and subjected to a heating reduction process.
  • the heating reduction process was performed under the conditions of the temperature ("reduction temperature” in the table) and time ("reduction time” in the table) shown in Table 6 below. After the reduction process, the pellets were quickly cooled to room temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere and removed from the furnace.
  • the reduced product removed from the furnace was measured for nickel metallization rate and nickel content in the metal, in the same manner as in the mixture forming process of the first or second embodiment described above.
  • Metal recovery process As in the metal recovery process of the first or second embodiment described above, valuable metals were separated, sorted and recovered from the reduction treatment product, and the metal recovery rate was calculated from the raw material content in the pellet stack charged into the reduction furnace, the nickel content in the raw material, and the amount of recovered nickel metal.
  • Examples 3-1 to 3-12 a mixture was prepared using two or more types of nickel oxide ores, and the Fe 2 O 3 content of the mixture was set to 32.0 mass% to 73.0 mass%, the SiO 2 content was set to 16.0 mass% to 40.0 mass%, and the MgO content was set to 5.0 mass% to 27.0 mass%, so that the average particle size of the generated valuable metal was larger than that of Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3. It was also confirmed that the nickel metallization rate and the nickel metal recovery rate were improved.
  • Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3 in which only a single ore was used and the mixture composition was outside the above-mentioned range, the values were lower in all items than in the Examples, and the average particle size of the generated metal was also smaller.

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Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de fusion d'un minerai oxydé à base de nickel, au moyen duquel il devient possible de produire un métal de valeur présentant une teneur élevée en nickel et une bonne qualité avec une efficacité élevée.　Le procédé de fusion selon la présente invention comprend : une étape de préparation de mélange S1 servant à produire un mélange contenant au moins deux minerais oxydés à base de nickel comprenant au moins du minerai de limonite et du minerai de saprolite ; une étape de mise en forme de mélange S2 servant à mettre en forme des granulés à partir du mélange ; et une étape de traitement du type réduction S3 servant à réduire les granulés par chauffage. Dans l'étape de préparation de mélange S1, le mélange peut être préparé de telle sorte que la teneur en nickel s'inscrive dans une plage spécifiée. Dans l'étape de préparation de mélange S1, le mélange peut également être préparé de telle sorte que la teneur en Fe2O3, la teneur en SiO2 et la teneur en MgO s'inscrivent dans une plage spécifiée.
PCT/JP2023/043220 2022-12-08 2023-12-04 Procédé de fusion de minerai oxydé à base de nickel Ceased WO2024122482A1 (fr)

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Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2016074945A (ja) * 2014-10-06 2016-05-12 住友金属鉱山株式会社 ニッケル酸化鉱の製錬方法
JP2022083866A (ja) * 2020-11-25 2022-06-06 住友金属鉱山株式会社 酸化鉱石の製錬方法

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2016074945A (ja) * 2014-10-06 2016-05-12 住友金属鉱山株式会社 ニッケル酸化鉱の製錬方法
JP2022083866A (ja) * 2020-11-25 2022-06-06 住友金属鉱山株式会社 酸化鉱石の製錬方法

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