AU2017272239B2 - Method of Co-Processing Nickel Laterite Ores and Lithium Concentrate - Google Patents
Method of Co-Processing Nickel Laterite Ores and Lithium Concentrate Download PDFInfo
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Abstract
5
A method of processing a lithium concentrate is disclosed. The method
comprises the steps of: transporting the lithium concentrate to an existing
HPAL processing facility; and, processing the lithium concentrate through the
existing HPAL processing facility to produce a battery grade lithium product.
10 There is also disclosed a method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a
lithium concentrate. The method comprises the steps of: transporting a
lithium concentrate to an existing HPAL processing facility, and transporting a
nickel laterite ore to the existing HPAL processing facility. Then the nickel
laterite ore and lithium concentrate are blended, followed by co-processing of
15 the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate in the existing HPAL processing
facility to produce nickel and a battery grade lithium product.
Drawing suggested to accompany Abstract: Figure 1
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Description
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Patents Act 1990
Invention title:
Applicant:
Associated Provisional Application No.: 2016905311
The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a concentrate and relates particularly, although not exclusively, to a method for co-processing a blend of nickel laterite ores and lithium concentrate.
Background to the Invention
The market for electric vehicles as well as on-grid and off-grid electrical storage batteries is rapidly expanding, and there is also growth in non-battery applications for lithium. This is forcing lithium producers to look for new ways to meet growing demand. Because historic demand for lithium was small and easily satisfied, producers focused on mining only the most accessible, highest-grade lithium minerals and processing them using the most inexpensive (though inefficient) methods. Moving forward, however, deposits of lithium will need to be considered which are of lower grade and more difficult to identify and to mine. Processes for concentrating and extracting lithium oxide and conversion to higher grade lithium products such as lithium carbonate and/or lithium hydroxide will also need to become more efficient and able to accommodate lower grade materials. A new focus on recovery rates and an awareness and understanding of detrimental elements will need to be developed.
Mineral sources of Lithium are predominantly in two forms: in silicates such as the minerals spodumene, zinnwaldite, and tourmaline; and in mica (orthosilicates) such as lepidolite. There are also rarer lithium-bearing minerals belonging to philosilicates, cyclosilicates, phosphates, fluorophosphates, and even clays such as hectorite. Lithium-bearing minerals spodumene, tourmaline and lepidolite are found in association with tantalum and niobium minerals (columbite, tantalite, niobite) in the massive Greenbushes pegmatite in the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia.
However, most of the current production of lithium comes from evaporation ponds into which lithium-bearing brine (containing highly soluble LiCI) is pumped from underground and allowed to evaporate. The dissolved lithium salts precipitate from the brine and are collected and processed into lithium carbonate (Li 2CO), the primary precursor material for many commercial uses of lithium. Lithium production from brines suffers from being land intensive, inefficient, environmentally questionable, and unable to respond quickly to the large increases in lithium demand that are being recorded and forecast for the near future. Many analysts do not anticipate that brine ponds will be capable of satisfying future forecast demand for lithium.
Mineral or non-brine sources of lithium are therefore increasingly being developed, especially as the price of lithium is able to support more input intensive means of lithium production. The most common mineral source of lithium in Western Australia currently is spodumene, most of which is produced in one location in WA, the Talison mine in Greenbushes. Lepidolite is a secondary but increasingly important source of lithium. While it is slightly more challenging to mine and has inherently lower concentrations of lithium, innovations in this area are taking place at an increasing rate which could make lepidolite economically feasible and thereby greatly expand the world's accessible lithium resources.
In Western Australia there are a number of failed nickel laterite hydrometallurgical plants that are either mothballed, in care and maintenance or operating at a loss. These plants utilised high pressure acid leach (HPAL) typically operating at 2500 C. The hydrometallurgical plants produced different intermediate products. Cawse and Ravensthorpe produced or produce a mixed hydroxide product whilst Murrin Murrin produces a mixed sulphide and Bulong applied direct solvent extraction technology to produce nickel cathode plate.
The mixed hydroxide HPAL plants can treat lithium hosted pegmatites to produce a lithium hydroxide product as well as a nickel hydroxide product. Poseidon Nickel Ltd (PNL) proposes to convert the nickel sulphide concentrator to a lithium spodumene concentrate process plant. Previous operators of the nickel laterite hydrometallurgical plants encountered significant technical obstacles as well as changing market and industry requirements in realizing value from these assets in spite of significant R&D work done at the sites.
Lake Johnston is a nickel mine and concentrator plant located 110 km west of Norseman that has operated since 2001. Discovered in 1971, the main ore bodies at Lake Johnston operations (LJO) underground consisted of the Emily Ann massive sulphide deposit (now mined out) and the Maggie Hayes (MH) deposit, consisting of a lower grade disseminated zone that has historically been mined through sub-level caving (called the sub-level cave zone), a higher grade massive zone referred to as North Shoot that was mined only opportunistically (being too narrow for large-scale mechanized mining), and the "Suture Zone" (being situated between the two).
PNL's Lake Johnston tenements are historically known to have lithium bearing pegmatites (intrusive igneous rock comprised of various interesting minerals), and recent reconnaissance has confirmed the presence of surface and near-surface outcrops of Li-bearing minerals (spodumene, lepidolite, and muscovite) in pegmatites. What was not known at the commencement of this project is whether commercial quantities of lithium are present, and whether those lithium-bearing minerals are well-suited to extraction, concentration, and processing into viable lithium materials products.
Lithium ore concentration is typically undertaken in two parallel processes, one being a technical-grade lithium process for use in glass and ceramics which have very low tolerance for contaminants such as iron, and the other(s) being chemical grade lithium for use in the production of Li 2 CO3 (lithium carbonate) and LiOH (lithium hydroxide), the precursor commodity used for batteries and other industrial uses of Li.
A number of new hydrometallurgical processes are being developed such as SiLeach and L-Max which aim to eliminate the requirement to use pyrometallurgical techniques to convert the spodumene from alpha crystal through to beta crystal and treating non-commercial lithium minerals such as lepidolite respectively. These new processes are not commercially proven and insufficient information is currently available on the technical risks associated with the relevant flowsheets.
The L-Max process developed by Lepidico Ltd is mainly intended for lithium minerals that are types of mica, for example lepidiolite. The SiLeach process, evidently an outgrowth or variation of the L-Max process, is being developed by Lithium Australia (LIT). These competing processes were too new for any expert familiar with the technology to state with any confidence how or whether they will work with any given concentrate, or more importantly to PNL, how lithium concentrate should be processed to produce a battery grade hydroxide or carbonate.
PNL plan to utilise the existing Lake Johnston nickel sulphide concentrator to treat lithium minerals such as spodumene, petalite, eucryptite, zinnwaldite, and lepidolite to produce a lithium concentrate. As this is substantially different to the original design criteria for Lake Johnston significant research and experimentation must be applied including trial mining and trial processing.
The technology for processing spodumene, eucryptite and petalite to produce Li 2 CO or LiOH is well established and commercial. High purity product quality is required if the hydroxide or carbonate is to be used in the manufacture of batteries. Trace elements only are acceptable as impurities in the hydroxide or carbonate product.
A further unknown prior to the commencement of this project was the ability to recommission one of the existing HPAL plants capable of producing a mixed nickel hydroxide at either Cawse or Ravensthorpe for the purpose of processing lithium concentrate to produce battery grade lithium product. PNL understands this has not been done before, and there are a number of key risks on the approach that must be investigated and understood.
The present invention was developed with a view to providing a method of co-processing nickel-bearing ores and lithium concentrates or independently processing lithium concentrates via an existing HPAL plant.
Tianqi Lithium plans to build a refinery in Kwinana Western Australia to treat spodumene concentrate to produce battery grade lithium products. Similarly Neo Metals plans to build a refinery in Kalgoorlie to process spodumene concentrate from Mt Marrion to produce battery grade lithium products. Both refineries will require a significant capital expenditure and take up to 2 years to design, construct and commission. Utilising an existing HPAL plant with minor changes, whilst high risk, eliminates the substantial capital investment and time prior to producing battery grade lithium products that attracts a premium to the spodumene concentrate.
The previous discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of this application. References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.
Summary of the Invention
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of processing a lithium concentrate, the method comprising the steps of:
transporting the lithium concentrate to an existing HPAL processing facility; and
processing the lithium concentrate through the existing HPAL processing facility to produce a battery grade lithium product.
Typically the lithium concentrate is spodumene concentrate. Preferably the method further comprises, prior to the step of processing, the step of pre treating the spodumene concentrate to effect alpha to beta crystal transformation. Typically the alpha to beta crystal transformation is performed by heating the alpha spodumene to over 11000 C in a rotary kiln. Preferably the step of processing comprises leaching the concentrate via an autoclave at a temperature within the range of 2500 to 2600 C. More typically the temperature in the autoclave is around 2500 C. Typically the residence time in the autoclave is in the range of 70 minutes to 90 minutes. More typically the residence time is about 90 minutes.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate, the method comprising the steps of:
transporting a lithium concentrate to an existing HPAL processing facility;
transporting a nickel laterite ore to the existing HPAL processing facility;
blending the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate; and,
co-processing the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate in the existing HPAL processing facility to produce nickel and a battery grade lithium product.
Preferably the method also includes crushing the nickel laterite ore and pre treating the lithium concentrate prior to the step of blending the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate. Typically the lithium concentrate is spodumene concentrate. Preferably the step of pre-treating the spodumene concentrate includes alpha to beta crystal transformation. Typically the alpha to beta crystal transformation is performed by heating the alpha spodumene to over 11000 C in a rotary kiln prior to co-processing. Preferably the step of co processing the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate comprises leaching the ore and concentrate via an autoclave at 2500 C. Typically the residence time in the autoclave is about 90 minutes.
Preferably the method further comprises, after the step of leaching, separating the solid tailings from the liquor containing lithium and nickel sulphate in solution.
Typically following solid/liquid separation the main solid impurities are separated from the liquor and discharged to a tailings storage facility.
Preferably prior to solid/liquid separation the main solution impurities are removed through a primary impurities removal circuit with the addition of lime or quicklime.
Typically following primary impurity removal the solids waste is separated from the liquid in a counter current decantation (CCD) circuit.
Preferably the method comprises the application of a secondary impurity removal circuit for removing any remaining iron, aluminium and silica.
Typically following secondary impurity removal the main solid impurities are separated from the liquor and recycled back to the CCD circuit.
Preferably the method further comprises selectively precipitating the nickel and lithium separately by the addition of sodium carbonate, magnesia or quicklime.
Preferably the secondary impurity removal circuit is followed by a primary mixed hydroxide precipitation (MHP1) step for recovering mixed metal hydroxides from the leach solution by precipitation. Typically following the MHP1 step the main solids are separated in a MHP1 product thickener. Advantageously the method further comprises the application of a secondary mixed hydroxide precipitation (MHP2) step for removing the remaining nickel and cobalt. Preferably following the MHP2 step the main solids are separated in a MHP2 product thickener and the underflow recycled back to the secondary impurity removal circuit.
Advantageously after precipitating the nickel and lithium separately the hydroxides or carbonates are dewatered and filtered to achieve a low moisture level prior to packaging.
Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word "preferably" or variations such as "preferred", will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the process, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is processing plant flow diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of the method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and lithium concentrates in an existing HPAL plant according to the present invention.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments
PNL has an overall company objective in defining the opportunities that exist in the lithium market. In order to move towards that goal, an essential R&D objective was to trial mine a representative sample of pegmatite (up to 20,000 t), to concentrate the bulk sample of ore at LJO, and to see the concentrate further processed into a viable Li 2 CO product. To do this, a number of unknowns had to be addressed. These included gaining an understanding of the specific lithium minerals that exist at Lake Johnston, developing an understanding of how to use the LJO concentrator to produce a lithium concentrate, and understanding the alternatives for downstream processing into Li 2CO3 . Intrinsic to these objectives is understanding the various gangue minerals, deleterious elements, the grade of the minerals, and their responsiveness to various processing treatments.
The ability to fine-tune ore feedstock through blending has previously been shown to have economic benefits both by influencing the product quality and by raising the overall recovery rate of nickel from extracted material. However, the ability to do so in the case of a blend of Black Swan and/or Lake Johnston ores with lithium-bearing ores was by no means assured.
Co-pending Australian Provisional Application No 2016903959, filed 29 September 2016, describes a Method of Co-Processing Nickel Sulphide Ores and other Ores. The main purpose of the method of co-processing nickel sulphide ores and lithium ores described in AU2016903959 is to minimise capital expenditure by maximising use of an existing Lake Johnston operation (LJO) concentrator. One of the products of the method of co processing nickel sulphide ores and lithium ores described in AU2016903959 is a lithium concentrate.
The main purpose of the method of co-processing according to the present invention is to make use of the existing HPAL plants capable of producing a mixed nickel hydroxide at either Cawse or Ravensthorpe for the purpose of processing lithium concentrate to produce battery grade lithium product.
In order to determine how the co-processing of nickel laterite ores and lithium concentrate can be done using an existing HPAL plant, a research and development program is being implemented to address a number of issues.
A first embodiment of the method of co-processing of nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the flow diagram of Figure 1 for a co-processing plant 10. The method typically comprises the step of transporting a nickel laterite ore to an existing HPAL processing plant 10 where it is stored in ROM (Run of Mine) bin 12. The method also comprises the step of transporting a lithium concentrate to the same HPAL processing plant 10, where it is stored in high grade cobalt ore bin 32. In the described embodiment the processing plant is an existing HPAL plant 10 located at Cawse, and the lithium concentrate is spodumene concentrate. Typically the spodumene concentrate is a product of the method of co-processing nickel sulphide ores and lithium ores described in
AU2016903959, using the LJO concentrator. However it will be understood that any suitable lithium concentrate may be employed, and the invention is not necessarily limited to processing of spodumene concentrates.
The method of co-processing according to the present invention preferably comprises the further steps of crushing and blending the nickel laterite ore with the lithium concentrate to produce a blended ore having a desired mineralogy. Typically the step of crushing the nickel laterite ore includes passing the ore from ROM bin 12 through a crushing circuit 14 comprising a primary crusher 16. The crushed nickel laterite ore from the crushing circuit is stockpiled in stockpile 18, from where it passes through a drum scrubber 20, is screened and the undersize material is sent to a first cyclone classifier 24.
Typically the step of blending the nickel laterite ore and the lithium concentrate is at least partially performed by passing the crushed ore and the concentrate through a milling circuit 22. The milling circuit 22 comprises the first cyclone classifier 24, a second cyclone classifier 26 and a ball mill 28. Coarse ore from the first cyclone classifier 24 passes to the second cyclone classifier 26, while the fines from the first cyclone classifier 24 go to an ore thickener 30, where it is blended with the fines from the second cyclone classifier 26. Coarse material from the second cyclone classifier 26 passes through the ball mill 28 in the milling circuit where it is blended with the lithium concentrate.
Because in this embodiment, the lithium concentrate is a spodumene concentrate, the method also includes pre-treating the spodumene concentrate prior to the step of blending the nickel laterite ore and the lithium concentrate. The step of pre-treating the spodumene concentrate typically includes alpha to beta crystal transformation. Typically the alpha to beta crystal transformation is performed by heating the alpha spodumene from bin 32 to over 11000 C in a rotary kiln 34. From the kiln 34 the spodumene concentrate passes to ball mill 28. In the ball mill 28 the spodumene concentrate is blended with the coarse material from the second cyclone classifier 26. Preferably the blended overflow (fines) from the second cyclone classifier 26 is sent to an ore thickener 30, in which it is blended with the fines from the first cyclone classifier 24 to form a blended slurry.
Preferably the method further comprises co-processing the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate in an existing mixed hydroxide HPAL processing plant to produce a nickel product and a battery grade lithium product. The blended slurry underflow from ore thickener 30 passes to a leach circuit 31 for co-processing. Typically the blended slurry from the ore thickener 30 is heated through splash condensors 36, and passes through a reaction vessel 38 prior to high pressure leaching of the blended ore in an autoclave 40. Preferably leaching of the blended slurry in autoclave 40 occurs at a temperature within the range of 2500 C to 2600 C. More typically the temperature in the autoclave 40 is around 2500 C. Typically the residence time in the autoclave 40 is in the range of 70 minutes to 90 minutes. More typically the residence time in the autoclave 40 is about 90 minutes. Then the slurry is cooled in flash vessels 42, prior to passing to a recycle leach vessel 44.
Preferably the method further comprises, after the leaching step, separating the solid tailings from the liquor containing lithium and nickel in solution. Typically the solid/liquid separation circuit comprises a counter current decantation (CCD) circuit 50. Preferably during solid/liquid separation the solid impurities are separated from the liquor and discharged to a tailings storage facility 52. Preferably prior to solid/liquid separation the slurry from the recycle leach vessel 44 passes through a primary impurity removal circuit 46 in which some of the primary impurities are removed with the addition of lime or quicklime. This removes most of the iron and aluminium as hydroxides, and silica precipitates as a silicate.
Preferably following solid/liquid separation in CCD circuit 50, after cooling of the liquor in cooler 54, some of the remaining impurities are removed through a secondary impurity removal circuit 56 with the addition of lime or quicklime. Typically following secondary impurity removal the liquor passes through a thickening/clarification circuit 58, and the main impurities are separated from the liquor and the underflow recycled back to the recycle leach vessel 44. Preferably the secondary impurity removal circuit 56 is followed by a primary mixed hydroxide precipitation (MHP1) step 60 for recovering mixed metal hydroxides from the leach solution by precipitation. Typically in this mixed hydroxide precipitation step hydroxides of nickel, cobalt, aluminium and other minor metals are formed by the addition of magnesium hydroxide to the solution. Typically following the primary MHP1 step 60 the main solids are separated in MHP1 product thickener 62 and the underflow passes to product filtration 68 for dewatering and washing to achieve a low moisture level prior to packaging of the final nickel / cobalt product for dispatch.
Preferably the method comprises the application of a secondary mixed hydroxide precipitation (MHP2) step 64 for removing the remaining nickel and cobalt. Typically following the secondary MHP2 step 64 the main solids are separated in MHP2 product thickener 66 and the underflow recycled back to secondary impurity removal circuit 56.
Preferably following solid/liquid separation in MHP2 product thickener 66, the overflow liquor passes through a final impurity removal circuit 68 wherein essentially all of the remaining impurities (Calcium, Magnesium, etc.) in solution are removed with the addition of sodium carbonate (or a similarly effective reagent such as sodium hydroxide). Typically following final impurity removal the precipitated solid impurities are separated from the liquor and discharged to a tailings storage facility 52. Preferably following final impurity removal the lithium is recovered from the purified liquor treated through IX to remove trace elements, causticisation tanks followed by sodium sulphate decahydrate crystalliser and the lithium recovery circuit 70 using two stage lithium crystallisation process to produce lithium monohydrate. The final lithium recovery process will be determined by the preferred lithium product, e.g. either a lithium hydroxide or a lithium carbonate will define the process. Typically following the lithium recovery step, the lithium product is further processed and packaged ready for dispatch.
Please note, the above description has been given for co-processing of a nickel laterite and lithium concentrate in an existing HPAL processing facility. However the same HPAL processing facility can also be used for processing alithium concentrate by itself to produce a battery grade lithium product, with only minor modifications to the flow sheet.
Now that a preferred embodiment of the method of co-processing has been described in detail, it will be apparent that the described embodiment provides a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following:
(i) It facilitates the processing of lithium concentrates using an existing HPAL plant built for an entirely different purpose, thus enabling significant savings in capital costs.
(ii) It addresses the current limitations of brine ponds and provides a cost effective alternative that may be capable of satisfying future forecast demand for lithium.
(iii) It enables co-processing of lithium concentrate with laterite ores in an existing HPAL plant to produce a battery grade lithium product.
(iv)Utilising an existing HPAL plant with minor changes eliminates substantial capital investment and time prior to producing battery grade lithium products that attracts a premium to the spodumene concentrate.
It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is to be determined from the appended claims.
Claims (19)
1. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate, the method comprising the steps of:
transporting a lithium concentrate to an existing HPAL processing facility;
transporting a nickel laterite ore to the existing HPAL processing facility;
blending the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate; and,
co-processing the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate in the existing HPAL processing facility to produce nickel and a battery grade lithium product.
2. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 1, wherein the method also includes crushing the nickel laterite ore and pre-treating the lithium concentrate prior to the step of blending the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate.
3. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lithium concentrate is spodumene concentrate.
4. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 3, wherein the step of pre-treating the spodumene concentrate includes alpha to beta crystal transformation.
5. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 4, wherein the alpha to beta crystal transformation is performed by heating the alpha spodumene to over 11000 C in a rotary kiln prior to co-processing.
6. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the step of co-processing the nickel laterite ore and lithium concentrate comprises leaching the ore and concentrate via an autoclave at 2500 C.
7. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 6, wherein the residence time in the autoclave is about 90 minutes.
8. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the method further comprises, after the step of leaching, separating the solid tailings from the liquor containing lithium and nickel sulphate in solution.
9. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 8, wherein following solid/liquid separation the main solid impurities are separated from the liquor and discharged to a tailings storage facility.
10. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 9, wherein prior to solid/liquid separation the main solution impurities are removed through a primary impurities removal circuit with the addition of lime or quicklime.
11. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 10, wherein following primary impurity removal the solids waste is separated from the liquid in a counter current decantation (CCD) circuit.
12. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the application of a secondary impurity removal circuit for removing any remaining iron, aluminium and silica.
13. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 12, wherein following secondary impurity removal the main solid impurities are separated from the liquor and recycled back to the CCD circuit.
14. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 13, wherein the method further comprises selectively precipitating the nickel and lithium separately by the addition of sodium carbonate, magnesia or quicklime.
15. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 14, wherein the secondary impurity removal circuit is followed by a primary mixed hydroxide precipitation (MHP1) step for recovering mixed metal hydroxides from the leach solution by precipitation.
16. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 15, wherein following the MHP1 step the main solids are separated in a MHP1 product thickener.
17. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 16, wherein the method comprises the application of a secondary mixed hydroxide precipitation (MHP2) step for removing the remaining nickel and cobalt.
18. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in claim 17, wherein following the MHP2 step the main solids are separated in a MHP2 product thickener and the underflow recycled back to the secondary impurity removal circuit.
19. A method of co-processing nickel laterite ores and a lithium concentrate as defined in any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein after precipitating the nickel and lithium separately the hydroxides or carbonates are dewatered and filtered to achieve a low moisture level prior to packaging.
Dated this 2 7 th day of February 2023
Poseidon Nickel Limited by its Patent Attorneys Wrays
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2016905311 | 2016-12-21 | ||
| AU2016905311A AU2016905311A0 (en) | 2016-12-21 | Method of Co-processing Nickel Laterite Ores and Lithium Concentrate |
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| AU2017272239A1 AU2017272239A1 (en) | 2018-07-05 |
| AU2017272239B2 true AU2017272239B2 (en) | 2023-04-06 |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA610971A (en) * | 1960-12-20 | Basic Atomics Incorporated | Recovery of lithium from ore | |
| US2983576A (en) * | 1959-03-27 | 1961-05-09 | Basic Atomics Inc | Recovery of lithium from ore |
| US4588566A (en) * | 1985-07-23 | 1986-05-13 | Chevron Research Company | Extraction of lithium from lithium-containing materials |
| CN101186968A (en) * | 2006-11-24 | 2008-05-28 | 江西赣锋锂业有限公司 | Method for producing refined lithium sulfate solution used in lepidolite lithium-extracting technique by sulfuric acid process |
-
2017
- 2017-12-06 AU AU2017272239A patent/AU2017272239B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA610971A (en) * | 1960-12-20 | Basic Atomics Incorporated | Recovery of lithium from ore | |
| US2983576A (en) * | 1959-03-27 | 1961-05-09 | Basic Atomics Inc | Recovery of lithium from ore |
| US4588566A (en) * | 1985-07-23 | 1986-05-13 | Chevron Research Company | Extraction of lithium from lithium-containing materials |
| CN101186968A (en) * | 2006-11-24 | 2008-05-28 | 江西赣锋锂业有限公司 | Method for producing refined lithium sulfate solution used in lepidolite lithium-extracting technique by sulfuric acid process |
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| AU2017272239A1 (en) | 2018-07-05 |
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