EFFECT OF CaO, Al2O3 AND BAUXITE ADDITION ON REDUCTION OF NICKEL SAPROLITE-LIMONITE MIXING ORE USING COAL AS REDUCING AGENT AT 1400oC

• Main Author: HALIM (NIM : 12509020), NURULHUDA
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/23594
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Nickel is a metal that plays an important role in the development of today's world because it has many uses such as raw material for stainless steel, special alloys, superalloy and chemicals. Indonesia is a country with a laterite nickel ore reserves in the world's third largest with total reserves of 25 million tonnes of nickel. However, until 2009, Indonesia can only produce 91,500 tonnes of nickel in ferro nickel and nickel matte form. The content of SiO2 and MgO are higher in the <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> saprolite make difficult operation because of the high liquidus temperature of the slag formed during smelting. On the other hand, limonite has a low nickel content <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> and has a high iron content making it less economical for processing. Therefore, in this study will be the reduction mix 20% limonite-80% saprolite ore to produce nickel at levels of 16% nickel. Ore reduction capabilities will be studied by looking at the percent of nickel and iron recovery experimental results. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Determination of reductant requirements, length of reduction, dose of flux and operating temperature will be conducted in preliminary experiments. Furthermore, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> the effect of flux: CaO, Al2O3 and bauxite will be observed and compared. Type of flux used on an industrial scale will be recommended. The results show that the optimum conditions for the reduction process is a mixture of limonite-saprolite ore with reductant coal 2 stoichiometric, reduction time of 35 minutes and operating temperature 1400oC. Without the use of flux, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> nickel and iron recovery is 87,57% and 53,48%. The use of flux CaO, Al2O3 and bauxite has proven to increase % nickel and iron recovery with an average gain 59,67% and 92,54%. Highest nickel recovery is achieved when the addition of bauxite is 40% ie 99,70% thus result in 50,50% for iron recovery. In addition, the composition of the ore used had good ability to be molten by itself so as to assimilate to the flux are added.