Year
2022
Degree Name
Master of Research
Department
School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
The production of nickel and cobalt from laterite ore has received increasing attention as the demands for these metals continue to increase. The use of conventional fossil fuel resources as energy source in the energy intensive laterite ore processing processes results in release of CO2 and aggravates the greenhouse effect. Hydrogen is expected to become a clean secondary energy resource in the future along with the development of renewable energy technologies. Therefore, this Master of Research project uses H2 as a reducing agent to target selective reduction of Ni and Co from a limonitic type of laterite ore while reduction of Fe is minimised. In this study, the effects of temperature (600 –950 °C) and reduction time (20–60 minutes) on the selective reduction of Ni, Co and Fe from laterite ore were evaluated using a H2-H2O gas mixture. XRD and SEM/EDS observations indicate that the ore used in this project consists of goethite, hematite, and clinochlore particles cemented by an amorphous iron-rich silicate phase. The optimal conditions have been observed to be 750 ◦C, 25 vol% H2 -75 vol% H2O and 30 minutes, with metallisation degrees of 17%, 17% and 89% for iron, nickel and cobalt, respectively.
Recommended Citation
Hou, Zhenyuan, Selective Reduction of NiO and CoO from A Laterite Ore by H2-H2O Mixture, Master of Research thesis, School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, 2022. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1/1532
FoR codes (2008)
0914 RESOURCES ENGINEERING AND EXTRACTIVE METALLURGY, 0912 MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.