LLC “Institute “Gipronikel”, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

L. N. Ertseva, Chief Researcher of Laboratory of Pyrometallurgy

R. V. Starykh, Leading Researcher

L. Sh. Tsemekhman, Head of Laboratory of Pyrometallurgy, e-mail: lev.tsem1@gmail.com

New technology, developed for Kola MMC, includes the smelting of residue of chlorine leaching of tube furnace nickel powder for production of metallic melt, accompanied by melt granulation or dispersion, followed by hydrometallurgical processing with production of rich bulk noble metal concentrate. The principal objective of the pyrometallurgical stage is production of metallic or sulphide-metallic melt and the given melt dispersion, ensuring the maximum noble metal recovery rate (Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir, Ag, Au) from the residue. This article describes the results of the studies of two technological samples of chlorine leaching residues (Kola MMC), used as the feed for pyrometallurgical experiments. There are also considered the data of researches of mattes with various metallization grade, formed during the nickel reduction and its transition to the sulphide-metallic phase. There was obtained the information on the form of the basic elements (nickel, cobalt, iron, sulphur, etc.) and noble metals (platinum and palladium in particular), occurring in the products of chlorine leaching residue smelting. Variations in ratio and composition of the matte components were revealed at smelting of different samples of chlorine leaching residues, as well as distribution of noble metals in the given components. Increase of the total sulphur level in the matte leads to the decreased portion of palladium and platinum, contained in nickel-iron metallic phase, being the most active during further hydrometallurgical processing.

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