“Gipronickel Institute” LLC, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Yu. A. Savinova, Junior Researcher
A. B. Portov, Researcher
L. Sh. Tsemekhman, Head of Laboratory of Pyrometallurgy, e-mail: LST@nikel.spb.su

Three series of experiments, related to the oxidizing and sulphatizing roasting of sulfide polymetallic concentrates, were carried out in a laboratory fluidized bed furnace, within the development of economically viable technology of processing of rough bulk concentrate of polymetallic ore from Artemievskoe deposit. This article describes the results of the following researches:
— research of composition and structure of initial concentrate;
— research of roasting process products and samples of cakes from subsequent sulfuric acid leaching.
Research of samples of the foregoing materials was carried out with application of scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. It was determined that in the first place, the substantial composition of obtained cinders depends on the temperature and atmosphere of process. At the same time, the roasting duration has no significant influence on the composition and structure of cinders. Besides, the method of material feeding into the furnace has the significant influence: with other conditions being equal, the distributed feeding provides more uniform and predictable oxidation of the material. During the research of the residues of cinders leaching, it was proved that spinels and relic sulphides are the basic insusceptible to processing components, containing non-ferrous metals. On the basis of obtained results, there were chosen the optimal roasting conditions, providing the minimal content of the mentioned components in the cinders. As a result, the achieved degree of non-ferrous metals extraction during the cinders leaching is near 94–96% (rel).

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