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Agglomeration and Characterization of Nickel Concentrate (MHP) Pellets for Ferronickel Production

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Abstract

Mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) is a nickel intermediate product that has economical benefits to downstream leaching of lateritic marginal ores. Usually, this product is subsequently processed and refined to produce nickel by hydrometallurgy, but an alternative route can be made integrating hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Assessing the overall consumption of ferroalloys to obtain stainless steel, as an increasing practice performed in China, the synergy of nickel extraction from laterites by leaching and precipitation as MHP with the production of MHP agglomerates applied as raw material to furnaces of ferronickel production is a very attractive practice. This work aims to further the technological development of an agglomerated product feasible to hydro-pyro integration. The agglomeration experiments were performed by traditional pelletizing (firing the pellets) and cold bonded pelletizing (aging the pellets by appropriate stocking). Appropriate compositions were prepared with MHP, additives and binders for each of these routes. A specific study of binder composition was made to find an adequate melting point. The produced pellets were tested to prove their properties by crushing strength tests. The standardization applied to iron ore was followed. The best result of crushing strength was 98.52 daN/pellet. The agglomerates with approved crushing strength for use in electric furnaces were smelted to produce alloys containing nickel; the agglomerates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The alloy obtained was metallic ferronickel with sulphide precipitates. Therefore, MHP pellets can be precursors of nickel alloys, which have to be refined to obtain the desirable composition.

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Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge Vale Technological Institute for technical support, knowledge shared and meetings realized. The authors would also like to give special thanks to Vale for additives and binder supplies, Arcelor Mittal Tubarão for SEM analysis, Centro de tecnologia mineral (CETEM) for chemical analysis, Universidade de Campina Grande (UFCG) for chemical analysis and thermogravimetry, Universidade do Espírito Santo (UFES) for pellets chemical analysis, Metallurgical and Materials Post Graduate Program (PROPEMM) and IFES for financial support to proofreading this article, besides the technical and scientific support in labs and library, and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for research incentive.

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Correspondence to Rafael Piumatti de Oliveira.

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de Oliveira, R.P., da Conceição do Nascimento, R. & Feldhagen, H.G. Agglomeration and Characterization of Nickel Concentrate (MHP) Pellets for Ferronickel Production. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 37, 1653–1665 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00235-4

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