Abstract

CHOQUE FERNANDEZ, Oscar Jesús  and  POLLMANN, Herbert. Lateritic nickel and RKEF process Case of study: Onca Puma mine - Brazil. Rev. Met. UTO [online]. 2016, n.39, pp. 9-18. ISSN 2078-5593.

Abstract Lateritic nickel deposits are present greater importance in the production of nickel. Hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes are used to obtain this metal, but the choice of technological route and the final product depends directly on the ore characteristics feed to the plant. The saprolitic lateritic nickel is the main raw material for the production of Fe-Ni alloy to the steel industry. In the studies of lateritic nickel about Onca Puma mine, the ore occurs in serpentine (chrysotile-lizardite), smectite (nontronite/saponite - montmorillonite) and chlorite (chamosite T* Fe/clinochlore Mg \|/| The Mg and Si with chemical formula Mg₃Si₂O₅ (OH)₄ of serpentines are replaced by Fe and Ni, forming (average grade of 1.7% nickel) solid solution substitutions. The chemical analysis and the mineralogy of saprolite from lateritic profile indicate that metallurgical extraction process - RKEF are the unit operations necessary to produce iron-nickel alloys.

Keywords : laterite; iron-nickel; RKEF.