Mineralogy in Process Design

Intergrated mineralogical analysis is vital for the charcterization of bulk mineral assemblages alteration characteristics, hosts for Ni and Co, and particle size distributions of complex lateric ores prior to hydrometallurgical testing. Study of the extremely fine-grained products of pressure leaching, including particle size, crystallinity and Ni-deportment and mineral chemistry allows for evaluation and refinement of the leaching process. Scalling of the pressure vessel is a serious problem that can result in expensive downtime or dangerous ruptures. Study of the composition, crystallinity and thickness of these scales provides clues to the process problems.