Nickel Oxide Ore Smelting: Segmentation for Alloy Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for smelting nickel oxide ore face challenges in achieving high recovery rates of iron-nickel alloy, particularly when the mixture of metal and slag becomes smaller, leading to difficulties in effective separation and recovery, especially when using low Ni quality ores like limonite.
Innovation Solution
A method involving pellet production, reduction, and separation steps, where pellets are heated to form a mixture that is then pulverized to ensure slag sizes are less than 2 mm, followed by magnetic separation using a force of 300 Gauss to 600 Gauss to effectively recover the iron-nickel alloy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the mixture lump size decreases during smelting, then the separation difficulty increases, but the recovery rate of metal must be maintained at least 95%
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies segmentation by dividing the mixture of metal and slag into smaller particles through pulverization, creating a size distribution where metal particles are 0.1-5mm and slag particles are 0.03-5mm. This segmentation enables effective magnetic separation by creating distinct size ranges that can be separated through classification processes, thereby maintaining high metal recovery rates even when the overall mixture lump size decreases.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the particle size parameter of the mixture through controlled pulverization and classification. By adjusting the pulverization degree and classification cutoff sizes, the process optimizes the separation efficiency between metal and slag, enabling high recovery rates regardless of the initial mixture lump size.
2Quantity of substance
If low Ni quality ore like limonite is used, then the mixture lump becomes very small, but effective separation and high recovery rate become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the fine mixture particles produced from low Ni quality ore into distinct size fractions through pulverization and classification. By creating a controlled particle size distribution with metal particles in the 0.1-5mm range and slag particles in the 0.03-5mm range, the process enables effective magnetic separation even when starting with very small mixture lumps, thereby achieving high recovery rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the particle size parameters through controlled pulverization and classification processes. By optimizing the size distribution parameters of both metal and slag particles, the process overcomes the limitation of small mixture lump size inherent in low Ni quality ores, enabling effective separation and high metal recovery.
3Ease of operation
If the mixture is pulverized to separate metal and slag, then separation efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the pulverization parameters by controlling the particle size distribution rather than over-pulverizing. By targeting specific size ranges (metal: 0.1-5mm, slag: 0.03-5mm) and using classification to separate fractions, the process achieves effective magnetic separation with minimal pulverization energy input, avoiding the energy waste of excessive size reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces intensive mechanical pulverization with a combination of moderate pulverization followed by magnetic separation and classification. This substitution reduces reliance on high-energy mechanical size reduction while achieving effective separation through the magnetic properties of the particles and controlled classification processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for high recovery rates of iron-nickel alloy with minimal slag contamination, even when the mixture size decreases, stabilizing the separation process and maintaining high recovery efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic separator to separate and recover the iron-nickel alloy from the pulverized material
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method for smelting nickel oxide ore by which, even if the size of lumps is small in a mixture of metal and slag obtained by reducing and heating pellets of nickel oxide ore, it is still possible to effectively separate the metal and slag and easily recover only the metal at a high recovery rate. A method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to the present invention uses pellets of nickel oxide ore and is characterized by comprising: a pellet production step S1 for producing pellets from nickel oxide ore; a reduction step S2 for heating the resulting pellets at a predetermined reduction temperature in a reduction furnace to obtain a mixture of iron-nickel alloy and slag; and a separation step S3 for separating out and recovering the iron-nickel alloy form the resulting mixture, the separation step S3 comprising the creation of pulverized matter by pulverizing the mixture so that at least the slag becomes smaller than 2 mm, and sorting the resulting pulverized matter with a magnetic force of 300 to 600 gauss.