202  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)

Studies on Sintering of Nickel Plant Leach Residue

R. Dasgupta and A.K. Chaubey
Regional Research Laboratory, Bhubaneswar

ABSTRACT: This paper presents useful data on process parameters and experimental conditions for
producing quality sinter based on laboratory scale experiments for sintering of a completely waste material,
i.e., nickel plant leached residue for its effective utilization to extract nickel and chromium in the alloyed
form by producing chromium based pig iron. Some attempts have also been made to evaluate the results
obtained from several laboratory scale experiments for estimation of strength and productivity. It has been
found that, by implementation of the process waste released from a nickel plant (based on reduction–roast-
ammonia leaching) can be used to produce value added products thereby adding to the overall economics of
the nickel production technology.

1. INTRODUCTION thoroughly. The mixture was granulated in a disc

pelletizer in presence of required quantity of
Nickel extraction by modified Caron process was moisture. Table 2 shows the typical charge
investigated in the 10 TPD capacity ore handling composition and size analysis of the granulated
pilot plant at Regional Research Laboratory, charge. The granulated charge was taken for
Bhubaneswar. Large quantity of leach residue sintering.
containing useful metals like iron and chromium
is generated from this process. This residue is a Table 1: Chemical analysis of nickel plant
hazardous material in slurry form but it is also a residue
potential source for extraction of some of its metal
values like iron, chromium and residue nickel. In Ni plant leach residue
order to extract these metal values and to have Iron 55%
proper use of this waste material, a process route SiO2 14%
has been tried on laboratory scale, i.e. sintering Al2O3 8%
followed by smelting. A considerable amount of
CaO 0.07%
work has been carried out at Regional Research
Mn 0.3%
Laboratory, Bhubaneswar1,6 in the field of
sintering of different types of ores and concentrates Cr2O3 2.7%

The present paper reports the work on Ni 0.25%

sintering of a waste material, i.e. Ni plant leach
residue for its effective utilization to extract nickel
and chromium in the alloyed form producing
chromium bearing pig iron.
2. EXPERIMENTAL
Sintering studies were carried out with nickel
plant leach residue and iron ore fines. The
chemical analysis of nickel plant leach residue is
given Table 1.The nickel plant leach residue
(-1 mm) with other additives was mixed
Co 0.03%
Sintering studies were conducted in a
laboratory pan of 100 mm × 100 mm cross-
section and 550 mm height. Hearth layer of
35 mm with –25 + 10 mm sinters were
maintained in each experiment. The bed height
was kept constant at 500 mm. The charge was
ignited by burning a layer of charcoal over top of
the bed. A suction of 900 mm Wg was maintained
in the wind box. The exhaust gas temperature and
suction in the wind box were measured by
203  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
chromel-alumel thermocouple and manometer different basicities. The effect of amount of coke
respectively. Exhaust gas temperature initially breeze, granulation time, moisture, and residue:
increased to a maximum value and then started ore blending ratio and basicity on the strength and
decreasing. Sintering was taken to be completed productivity of sinters has been studied.
when the gas temperature started falling. A typical
time temperature variation of exhaust gas during
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
sintering is shown in Fig. 1.

Table 2: Typical charge composition 3.1 Effect of Coke Breeze

Charge composition Sieve analysis of It is seen from the results (fig. 2) that the
granules requirement of fuel i.e. coke breeze, is higher
Ni plant leach 50.2% Sieve size, Wt. (22%) compare to iron and manganese ore
residue mm % sintering where the coke breeze requirement is
Lime stone 28.5% - 6.3 + 3.35 40.0 only 6-8%. Strength and productivity of sinter
Coke breeze 11.05% - 3.35 + 1.0 35.0 increases with increase in coke breeze up to 22%
above which the values decrease progressively
Moisture 10.25% - 1.0 + 0.5 25.0
with increasing coke breeze. This may be due to
Total 100.00% - 0.5 - the fact that with excess heat the top of the bed
get fused resulting in less permeable top layer
which leads to inefficient burning of coke breeze
1000 350
in the lower layer developing less temperature
900
300 and hence poor sintering
800

700 250
61 1. 2
600
200
60
500 1

150 59
400 0. 8
58
300 100
57 0. 6
200
50 56
0. 4
100
55

0 0 T u mb le r in d e x 0. 2
54
0 10 20 30 P ro d u c tiv ityt/h r m2

53 0
Time in min
15 17 19 21 23 25 27

% a ddi t i o n o f C o k e br e e z e

Fig. 2: Effect of coke breeze on strength and

Fig. 1: Variation of suction pressure and       
exhaust gas temperature with time during
sintering
The productivity of sinters is reported as tonnes of
+5.6 mm sinters produced per hour per square
meter grate area. Experiments were conducted
individually with residue and also by blending the
residue with iron ore fines in different
proportions. Sintering studies were carried out at
productivity of the sinter
3.2 Effect of Granulation Time
The granulation time was varied from 2 to
10 minutes. The strength and productivity
increased upto 5 minutes granulation time (Fig. 3)
with higher granulation time the granules become
bigger and broke down causing fines.

3.3 Effect of Moisture

Studies on Sintering of Nickel Plant Leach Residue 204
Quantity of moisture in the sinter mix was varied The effect of iron ore addition on total iron in
from 10–15% of the charge (Fig. 4). With sinter was studied by varying the ratio of residue:
increase in moisture, the strength and productivity ore ratio from 30:70 to 70:30. The results are
increases up to 12% beyond which deterioration given in table-3 from the results it is inferred that
in the quality of sinter was observed. as iron ore percentage increases the strength and
productivity of the sinter increases. At basicity-2
the strength and productivity of the sinter with
61 1. 2
100% residue is 63.8 and 1.4 ton/hr.m2
60
1
respectively and sinter with 70:30 are 67.8 and
59
1.58 t/hr.m2.
58
0. 8
57

56 0. 6
Table 3: Effect of Residue: Ore ratio on sinter
55
strength and productivity at basicity 2.0
0. 4
54 T umbler in dex

P r oduc t ivit y, t / hr m2
Residue, Ore,% Tumbler Productivity
53
0. 2 % Index (t/hr.m2)
52

51 0
30 70 67.8 1.58
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

G r a nnul a t i o n t i me , mi n
50 50 65.8 1.54
70 30 65.5 1.48
100 0 63.8 1.40
Fig. 3: Effect of Granulation time on sinter
strength and productivity
3.5 Effect of Basicity
At lower moisture content the granulation is
not proper. With higher moisture in the sinter The strength and productivity increases with
charge, large quantity of water vapour is increase in basicity. With 100% waste at basicity
generated which condenses at the cooler bottom 1.6 the productivity is 1.28 ton/hr.m2 & basicity
portion of the bed thereby decreasing 2.8 the productivity is 1.68 ton/m2 hr. whereas
permeability leading to inefficient burning of coke with 30% waste at the same basicity productivity
breeze and finally poor sintering. is 1.22 ton/hr.m2 and at basicity-2 the productivity
is 1.58 ton/hr/m2. Results are represented in
table 4.
61 1. 2

60

59
1 Table 4: Effect of basicity (CaO/SiO2) on sinter
58
0. 8 strength and productivity with 100 percent
57

56 0. 6
residue
55
T umbler in dex
54
P r oduc t ivit y, t / hr m2
0. 4
Basicity Tumbler Productivity
53
0. 2 Index (t/hr.m2)
52

51 0

6 8 10 12 14 16
1.6 60.1 1.28
% M o i s t ur e a ddi t i o n
2.0 62.0 1.40
2.4 64.4 1.52
2.8 68.2 1.68
Fig. 4: Effect of moisture on strength and
productivity of the sinter produced

3.4 Effect of Plant Residue: Iron Ore

Ratio
205  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
4. CONCLUSIONS
From the above study it can be concluded that
1. 100% waste of Ni plant residue can be used
to produce quality sinter.
2. Fluxed sinter with basicity 2.8 gives the best
result in terms of strength and productivity.
3. With 100% waste iron content in sinter is
low which can be improved by adding some
iron ore fines along with the residue.
REFERENCES
[1] Banerjee, G.N., Ray, S.C., Dasgupta, R., Dey,
D.N and Jena P.K. Sintering studies on chromite
fines and concentrates, Trans. Inst. Metals. 40,
3,269 (1987).
[2] Dey, D.N., Jauhari, A.K., Tripathy, A.K.,
Banerjee, G.N., Datta, P., Mohanty, J.N., and
Dasgupta, R.; Agglomeration studies on some
selected Indian ores, Proceedings of the Intl.
Seminar on Beneficiation, Agglomeration and
Environment, pp. 259(1999).
[3] Dasgupta R., Banerjee, G.N., Ray, S.C. and
Jauhari, A.K.; Sintering and modeling of
chromite sintering process, Trans. Of the Indian
Institute of Metals, 46, 1, 40 (1993).
[4] Dasgupta, R., Banerjee, G.N., Rao, K.K., Ray,
S.C., and Jauhari, A.K.; Proc. Int. Symp. On
Beneficiation and Agglomeration, 1991, p. 338.
[5] Datta, P., Dasgupta, R., Banerjee, G.N., and
Jauhari, A.K.; Measurement of Green bed
permeability and its influence on iron ore sinter
productivity, Proc. Experimental Approaches in
Pyrometallurgical Research, pp. 48 (Eds. Datta,
P., Jauhari, A.K., Ray, H.S.) Allied Publishers,
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[6] Jauhari, A.K., Datta, P., Ray, H.S.; Use of iron
and steel industry wastes in sinter making, Proc.
Int. Conf. On Environmental Management in
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Allied Publishers, New Delhi.