The development of a resin-in-pulp process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite leach slurries

Up to 10% of the soluble nickel and cobalt can report to the tailings of a pressure acid leach (PAL) process for the recovery of nickel from lateritic ores as a result of the difficulties associated with the poor settling characteristics of the autoclave discharge. This paper describes the results of laboratory and pilot-plant investigations aimed at establishing the potential for the application of a resin-in-pulp (RIP) process to improve the overall nickel and cobalt recoveries from such tailings. Small-scale batch tests in the laboratory established the technical feasibility and this was followed by several campaigns using a continuous six-stage miniplant which demonstrated that the process could achieve the desired results and which enabled a pilot plant to be designed. The integrated pilot plant operated on site at a local plant over a period of several months. The paper will discuss the results from this testwork, which has culminated in a preliminary process design for a full-scale plant. In addition, the more fundamental aspects associated with the adsorption and elution processes have been investigated and process models developed for these operations. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.