A METHOD FOR PRODUCING NICKEL ORE CONCENTRATE, A METHOD FOR PROCESSING NICKEL ORE CONCENTRATE, AND A METHOD FOR EXTRACTING MATERIALS PRODUCED FROM NICKEL ORE

Claims

1. A method for producing nickel ore concentrate, characterized in that the method includes stages in which perform intensive abrasion (100) of nickel ore; sorting (110) the nickel ore by size into at least one fine fraction (FF) and one coarse fraction (CF); magnetically sort (120) the coarse fraction (CF) to obtain the magnetic fraction (MF); grinding (130) the magnetic fraction (MF) to obtain a fine magnetic fraction (FMF); and combine (140) the fine fraction (FF) and the fine magnetic fraction (FMF) to produce nickel ore concentrate (NOC).

2. A method for producing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that the stage (100) of intensive attrition is carried out using equipment such as a two-rotor mill, a rod mill, or a "scrubber".

3. A method for obtaining nickel ore concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that the stage (100) of intensive abrasion occurs over a period of 2 to 50 minutes.

4. The method for producing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that the stage (PO) of sorting by size produces a fine fraction (FF) with a particle size less than 75 μm and a coarse fraction (CF) with a particle size greater than 75 μm.

5. The method of producing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a crushing step (100 B) carried out until the processed material becomes less than 2 inches (or 5.08 centimeters) in size.

6. A method for processing nickel ore concentrate, characterized in that it includes the following stages, performed in the following sequence: mix (200) nickel ore concentrate (NOC) with hydrochloric acid, irradiating (210) a nickel ore concentrate (NOC) with microwaves until more than 90% of the nickel and cobalt contained in the nickel ore concentrate are converted into their soluble chloride form and until the desired conversion of iron, chromium and titanium contained in the nickel ore concentrate into their insoluble oxide form is achieved; leaching (220) the nickel ore concentrate (NOC) with water to convert the nickel and cobalt contained in the nickel ore concentrate (NOC) into solution; and (230) a leach solution (LI) loaded with nickel, cobalt, iron and magnesium is obtained.

7. A method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that the leaching stage (220) is performed using microwave irradiation.

8. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes a stage (210A) of regenerating hydrochloric acid used in the first stage (200) of leaching by evaporating it in a heating stage (210), condensing the hydrochloric acid vapors and returning the condensed hydrochloric acid to the leaching stage (200).

9. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to paragraph 6, characterized in that the first stage (200) of leaching includes the addition of 0.1-5 ml / g of hydrochloric acid per gram of nickel ore concentrate.

10. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that the heating stage (210) includes heating for a period of 5 to 50 minutes.

11. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that the second stage (220) of leaching includes microwave irradiation at a temperature between 20°C and 100°C.

12. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes the step (230) of filtering the leaching solution (LI) to obtain an insoluble oxide form containing iron, chromium and titanium.

13. A method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes a precipitation step (240) for extracting iron contained in the leaching solution LI by adding at least one phosphate source in a stoichiometric proportion to the leaching solution (LI).

14. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to paragraph 13, characterized in that it includes stages in which use MnO2 and KMnO4 to precipitate the manganese by-product of the precipitation step (240) to extract the iron contained in the LI leach solution, The mixed hydroxide precipitate is precipitated by adding magnesium oxide.

15. A method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to paragraph 6, characterized in that it includes stages in which add (250) a solvent (SO) to the leaching solution (LI) to obtain a leaching solution (LI) mainly containing nickel and cobalt; (251) the solvent (SO) is separated by adding hydrochloric acid to the leach solution (LI); and return the solvent (SO) to the extraction stage (250).

16. A method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to paragraphs 14 and 15, characterized in that it includes a stage (270) of pyrohydrolysis of the leach solution (LI) to extract magnesium oxide and hydrochloric acid.

17. The method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes the step (340) of adding magnesium oxide to the leaching solution (LI) to obtain nickel and cobalt hydroxide.

18. A method for processing nickel ore concentrate according to paragraph 6, characterized in that it includes stages in which mixing the coarse magnetic fraction of nickel ore concentrate (NOC), which is rich in chromium, with NaOH and H2O2; and irradiate the mixture with microwaves for a time sufficient to convert more than 90% of the chromic phases into sodium chromate.

19. A method for extracting derivatives from nickel ore, characterized in that it includes the steps of a method for obtaining nickel ore concentrate, characterized in any of paragraphs 1-5, and additionally includes the steps of a method for processing nickel ore concentrate, characterized in any of paragraphs 6-18.