Study on Forming Mechanism and Controlling Strategies of Scaling Problem in High-Pressure Acid Leaching Process of Laterite Nickel Ore
Received:December 03, 2024   Revised:December 23, 2024   Accepted:December 25, 2024      Published Online:March 18, 2025
View Full Text  View/Add Comment  Download reader
DOI:doi:10.20237/j.issn.1007-7545.2025.04.014
KeyWord:laterite nickel ore; high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL); scale and surfactant; mechanism
        
AuthorInstitution
Anissya Putri Maharani Muharam 中南大学
WANG Yaning 印度尼西亚QMB
XIA Longgong 中南大学
Hits: 1708
Download times: 1146
Abstract:
      The rapid development of the new energy industry continues to promote the development of the nickel metallurgy industry, and the proportion of resources such as laterite nickel ore is an increasingly large proportion of nickel production raw materials. High-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) is an efficient hydrometallurgical technique that integrates with producing battery materials such as nickel sulfate, the main technology for processing laterite nickel ore domestically and internationally. The autoclave is the core equipment in the HPAL process. However, the inner surface is prone to scaling during the laterite nickel ore leaching process. This serious issue affects production continuity, limits operational efficiency, and poses potential safety risks. The scaling mechanism of the autoclave was investigated through the analysis of industrial scaling samples and scaling experiments, and control strategies for scaling was proposed and experimentally validated. The influence of key factors, such as slurry density, acid-to-ore ratio, and stirring speed, on scaling growth was systematically explored. Furthermore, the effectiveness of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) as a surfactant in inhibiting scale formation was studied. The results indicate that the main cause of the scale layer is the rapid nucleation and growth of low solubility products such as hydronium alunite ((H3O)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6) and hematite (Fe2O3) on the inner surface of the autoclave. Under optimized experimental conditions, adding SDBS can significantly reduces the scale growth rate, with the scale deposition decreasing from 47.47 grams to 2 grams. This study provides fundamental data for understanding the scaling mechanism in the HPAL process also validates the feasibility of using SDBS as a scale inhibitor for laterite nickel ore leaching, and systematically improves the efficiency of high-pressure acid leaching for laterite nickel ore.
Close