Thermal Concentration of Nickeliferous Pyrrhotite Concentrate for Nickel Recovery Using Metallic Iron: Thermodynamic Assessments and Effects of Process Variables

Direct disposal of nickeliferous pyrrhotite (Pyrr) tailings can cause the formation of acidic effluents and result in significant loss of nickel values. The investigation studies a thermal concentration process for the Pyrr which recovers its nickel content as ferronickel alloy by adding metallic iron. Thermodynamic assessments of the system were conducted to narrow the range of iron addition and treatment temperature for the thermal …