CARON LEACHING PROCESS: SYNTHESIS OF KNOWLEDGE FOR IMPROVEMENT INDUSTRIAL. PART I

Abstract

The primary target of the present work is to base the routes to increase the cobalt extraction without expossing the nickel one in CARON leaching Process. In order to reach, the causes of losses of Ni and Co, based on the scientific and technological results of Cuban and foreign researchers were analyzed, validated by the industrial practice. At the same time, the main parameters of operation of the plants at world-wide level were compared, correlating them with the results of their extractions. In the work, the potential reserves of Ni and Co extractions by each class of their loss were quantified and located. It was established that: the optimization of the air flow in each turbomixer must correspond with the particularities of each industrial plant, as far as quality of the reduced ore and substantial composition of the leaching liquor, evaluated by the redox potential of the pulp before being fed the line of turbo-mixer. This methodology sets out to govern the aeration
for the leaching operation with high a % of Fe 0 and Fe 2+ in the reduced ore, as via to elevate the Ni and Co reduced efficiency at the more competitive levels; and as base for the improvement of the QT-method that determines their reduced efficiency in order to demander more production of Ni and Co to the leaching plant. In this work 34 bibliographical references were mentioned.