Iron Removal from Acidic Limonitic Laterite Leach Solution through Controlled Oxidative and Alkaline Precipitation
摘要
The dissolution of iron (Fe) always comes first in the acid-leaching method used to recover nickel from laterite ore since it is the primary impurity component in the ore. In this study, Fe was precipitated from the pregnant leach solution (PLS) using the goethite precipitation method. Quantitative analysis was conducted on the precipitation rate of Fe in relation to various precipitation process factors, including the type of alkaline addition, temperature, pH, stirring speed, and oxidizing agent. The impacts of several process parameters on the Fe-precipitated phase were also qualitatively examined using XRD analysis. The findings demonstrated that, with H2O2 acting as an oxidizing agent, nearly all the Fe could be precipitated at a pH of 4–5. The amount of Fe that precipitated was not significantly affected by temperature or stirring speed. The addition of NaOH as a pH adjuster gave the highest Fe deposition rate. In addition, the temperature and type of alkaline added as pH-adjusting agents affected the Fe-precipitated phase. Nickel loss occurs due to co-precipitation or adsorption because the precipitation process is carried out in the pH range 2–5.