Patent ID: 6391089
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A process of leaching a nickel and cobalt containing predominantly limonitic portion of a laterite ore profile, comprising the steps of:a) preparing a feedstock of a predominantly limonitic portion of a laterite ore containing nickel and cobalt; b) pulping said feedstock with a liquid to produce a pulped ore; c) adding an effective amount of sulphuric acid to the pulped ore to produce a sulphuric acid solution, agitating and leaching said feedstock in said sulphuric acid solution at an elevated temperature under pressure for a selected period of time whereby metal oxides are leached from said ore to produce a leach pulp; d) separating said leach pulp into a mother liquor solution and a first thickened leach pulp, wherein said liquid used to pulp said feedstock in step b) includes a selected amount of said mother liquor solution; and e) recovering nickel and cobalt products from said first thickened leach pulp.