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HIGH-PRESSURE ACID LEACH PILOT-PLANT
The most advanced pressure leaching piloting facilities in the world – the HiPAL™ submarine autoclave pilot plant has been commissioned at the SGS Minerals Services facility in Perth.
The plant was designed by Hatch Engineering and constructed and detailed by Zeton Inc. of Canada.
QNI, the nickel business of BHP-Billiton, funded the design and construction of the equipment, to ensure that world-class testing facilities are available in Australia for the development of several of its nickel laterite projects.
When not being used by QNI, the pilot plant is available for independent use by SGS Minerals Services working with third parties conducting evaluations of other properties.
The pilot plant is operated by SGS metallurgical professionals to ensure access to the skills and experience of the metallurgists, engineers, chemists and technologists of the SGS group of companies. SGS Minerals Services in Canada has extensive experience developing, testing and piloting flowsheets used in the processing of lateritic nickel ores.
HIGH PRESSURE ACID LEACHING (HiPAL™)
Major reserves of nickel are contained in laterite ores, which have traditionally been treated by pyrometallurgical methods. Hydrometallurgical treatment, by direct acid leaching of the ore at temperatures above 240°C, is however the favoured treatment option for several new projects in the Australasian region. The basic steps in the process are:
There are a number of possible variations to the above basic flowsheet.
Other metals, such as copper and cobalt, can also be recovered by HPAL.
THE HiPAL™ FACILITY
The HiPAL™ facility features six main sections
- Feed preparation
- Autoclave leaching
- Counter-current decantation (CCD) and neutralization
- Precipitation (mixed hydroxide) and re-leach
- Assay and off-line testing
- Control, database and information technology
FEATURES OF HiPAL™
The new pilot plant is capable of automatic, fully integrated, continuous operation of all unit processes, from feed preparation to production of final metal products.
- 5-compartment, titanium-7 autoclave
- Continuous operation at 290°C and 9 Mpa
- Working volume of 65-75 L
- Feed rate is 10-20 kg/h
- Flowsheets can include hydroxide and sulphide precipitation
- Comprehensive distributed control system (DCS)
- Custom-designed, secure database (SQL/Access) for all operating and assay data links with other software (e.g., Excel) for accurate, rapid manipulation and reporting
AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT AT SGS MINERALS SERVICES IN PERTH
A range of auxiliary equipment is available at SGS Minerals in Perth, including:
- A four-stage autoclave system in titanium-2, rated at 270°C and 7.5Mpa. (used for PAL or oxidative leaching)
- A six-stage submarine autoclave system in titanium-2, rated at 245°C and 5Mpa (used for oxidative leaching)
- High-pressure steam generator
- Belt filters
- Various other agitated tanks, reactors and thickeners
- Solvent extraction and electrowinning batch and pilot testing facilities
- Several batch autoclaves for off-line testwork
SGS MINERALS SERVICES CREDENTIALS
The SGS Minerals Services Perth facility offers clients the flexibility to consider virtually any processing option as equipment and expertise is available for a full range of processes. These include crushing, grinding, ultra-fine milling, magnetic and electrostatic separation, bacterial oxidation, gravity separation, leaching, pressure oxidation and acid leaching, solvent extraction, electrowinning and reduction and oxidative roasting.
- World-class project reporting to full bankable feasibility standards.
- Batch pressure acid leaching - many major projects.
- Continuous high-pressure acid leaching - 10 major pilot campaigns successfully completed with a total of some12 weeks on-line run time.
- Batch solvent extraction - many major projects.
- Pilot solvent extraction: some 10 major programs on nickel, cobalt and zinc.
- Nickel electrowinning: several programs, including full-sized LME-grade cathode production
- Batch and continuous oxidative leaching – extensive testwork.
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