Thermal Upgrading of Nickeliferous Pyrrhotite Tailings for the Recovery of Nickel in the Form of Ferronickel Alloy

Production of ferronickel alloy by thermal treatment of nickeliferous pyrrhotite (Pyrr) tailings was studied by both thermodynamic assessment and experimentation. It was demonstrated that Ni can be extracted from Pyrr by increasing the Fe/S ratio of the material, which was achieved by either partial oxidation of Pyrr followed by H2 reduction or in situ generation of metallic Fe from the reduction of magnetite by petroleum coke pre-mixed with Pyrr. Examination of the samples produced from thermal treatment at 1173 K demonstrated that both approaches were effective in generating ferronickel, although the size of the particles was suboptimal for subsequent separation. Increasing the ferronickel particle size could be achieved by a smelting step at 1473 K, forming a sulfur-deficient molten matte. Slow cooling of the molten matte resulted in precipitation, settling, and growth of ferronickel alloy particles.