STUDY OF EFFECT OF CaSO4 AND H3BO3 ADDITION ON NICKEL MATTE PARTICLE FORMATION USING SAPROLITIC NICKEL ORE AT 1100?C-1300?C

• Main Author: Satria Putra, Irfan
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/39877
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Nickel is naturally formed as sulfide or oxide (laterite). Around 70% of nickel ore source is laterite and the rest is sulfide. Lateritic nickel ore often contains other metals, such as silicon, magnesium, iron, and cobalt. High magnesium content in the saprolitic nickel ore results in this type of ore being processed thorugh pyrometallurgical route. In this research, the effect of temperature and addition of CaSO4 and H3BO3 on the reduction of lateritic nickel ore using coal reductor to metal/mate particles formation was studied. Briquettes that were used consist of three types, namely briquette A (6% coal), briquette B (6% coal + 15% CaSO4), and briquette C (6% coal +15% CaSO4 + 10% H3BO3). Addition of the fluxes were based on previous studies and FactSage simulation. Briquette were reduced at 1100?C, 1150?C, 1200?C, 1250?C, 1300?C for one hour using horizontal tube furnace with argon gas flowing at 1L/min. Reduced briquette were then prepared and observed using optical microscope. The images that were obtained from optical microscope were then processed by ImageJ to obtain metal/matte particles size that were formed. Reduced briquettes were also analyzed using SEM-EDS and EPMA-WDS. In the range of 1100?C-1300?C, higher reduction temperature increased the size of metal particles, either ferronickel or nickel matte. The largest particle on briquette A (6% coal) was 149.2 ?m and the largest average particle diameter was 1.82 ?m. Largest particle on briquette B (6% coal + 15% CaSO4) was 77.22 ?m and largest average particle diameter was 2.24 ?m. Largest particle size on briquette C (6% coal + 15% CaSO4 + 10% H3BO3) was 1079.18 ?m and largest average particle diameter was 5.21 ?m. At 1200?C, briquette A (6% coal) produced the highest ferronickel content of 10.3%. Briquette B (6% coal + 15% CaSO4) produced the highest nickel content in nickel matte of 14.35%. Briquette C (6% coal + 15% CaSO4 + 10% H3BO3) produced the highest nickel content in nickel matte of 25.33%.