Dissolution of copper and nickel from nickel-rich anode slimes under oxidized pressure leaching

Udit S. Mohanty, Taina Kalliomäki, Sipi Seisko, Chao Peng, Lotta Rintala, Petteri Halli, Jari Aromaa, Pekka Taskinen, Mari Lundström (Corresponding Author)

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Anode slimes are valuable by-products in the electrolytic copper refinery process. This study aimed to investigate maximum extraction efficiency of Cu and Ni from slimes originating from the electrorefining of anodes containing high [Ni]. In addition, the extractions of Se, Te, As and Bi were determined. A factorial leaching series was conducted with T = 140–160°C, [H2SO4] = 12–20%, pO2= 2–8 bars and solid/liquid ratio = 200–400 g/L. The highest Ni extraction of 99.7% was obtained with [H2SO4] = 20%, pO2 = 8 bar and T = 160°C while maintaining S/L ratio of 200 g/L. The extraction of copper was found to be within 97–99% in all the leaching experiments. Increasing acidity and decreasing S/L ratio increased the efficiency of Cu extraction. Mineralogical characterizations by SEM-EDX demonstrated the presence of Ag2Se, BaSO4, PbSO4 and several oxide phases in the leach residue.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)378-387
    JournalMineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy: Transactions of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
    Volume130
    Issue number4
    Early online date29 Sept 2019
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2021
    MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

    Keywords

    • Autoclave
    • copper electrorefining
    • extraction efficiency
    • hydrometallurgy
    • modelling
    • secondary metal sources
    • sulphuric acid leaching
    • valorization

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Dissolution of copper and nickel from nickel-rich anode slimes under oxidized pressure leaching'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this