MÈTODO PARA RECUPERACIÒN DE NIQUEL Y COBALTO DESDE MENAS DE LATERITA MEDIANTE REACCIÒN CON ÀCIDO CONCENTRADO Y LIXIVIACIÒN CON AGUA

LA PRESENTE INVENCIÒN PROPORCIONA UN PROCESO PARA LA LIXIVIACIÒN EFICIENTE DE NÌQUEL Y COBALTO DESDE UNA MENA DE LIMONITA Y SAPROLITA, TAL COMO PODRÌA SER PRODUCIDA POR MINERÌA EN MASA DE UN DEPÒSITO TÌPICO DE LATERITA DE NÌ A process for leaching laterite ores containing limonite and saprolite in a two stage process. The first stage consisting of mixing and reacting the ore with concentrated mineral acid, and the second stage consisting of preparing a slurry of the acid/ore mixture in water and leaching the mixture to dissolve nickel and cobalt. Iron is efficiently separated from nickel and cobalt in the solid leach residue primarily as an oxide or hydroxide of ferric iron other than jarosite.