Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOM, cilt.76, sa.3, ss.1383-1393, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
This study investigated the recovery of nickel from tailings (0.2% Ni) obtained in a chromite beneficiation plant using H2SO4 leaching followed by oxalic acid precipitation. The tailings were characterized using mineral liberation analysis. Ni was found as Fe-Ni, Fe-Ni-Co sulfide minerals, which were encapsulated in serpentine, olivine, pyroxene and clinochlore. Liberated fine chromite minerals benefited from magnetic separation followed by Falcon concentrator. A chromite product with a grade > 37% was obtained. The effect of leaching conditions including acid concentration, temperature, time and solid-to-liquid ratio on the leaching behavior of Ni was investigated based on the Taguchi approach. It was possible to extract Ni with a rate of > 98% from the tailings using the following conditions: H2SO4 concentration of 3 M, solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:20 and ambient temperature for 2 h. Finally, Ni was precipitated as an oxalate form with a precipitation rate of 72%. It is believed that implementing additional purification methods like solvent extraction may be essential to obtain a high-purity nickel product from the leach solution of oxalate precipitate. Experimental results indicate that the tailings used in this study are a good alternative as Ni resource in the near future.