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FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES OF INCO MATTE SEPARATION PROCESS

M. Xu, P.F. Wells

2003enmatteselectivitydepressionactivationextractionseparationnickelcopperflotation

Abstract

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The Inco Matte Separation process was the first commercial application using mineral processing techniques to separate nickel from copper from a slow-cooled matte in Sudbury since 1945. In Inco Sudbury operations, bulk sulphide concentrate containing chalcopyrite, pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and some gangue minerals is flash smelted and converted to Bessemer matte. During the controlled slow-cooling of the Bessemer matte, discrete mineral grains of new mineral phases are formed: copper sulfide precipitates as chalcocite (Cu2S), nickel sulfide as heazlewoodite (Ni3S2), and a Cu-Ni-Fe alloy is also formed. Flotation is employed to separate chalcocite from heazlewoodite under high lime conditions (pH>12) with diphenyl guanidine (DPG) as both collector and frother. A simplified matte separation flowsheet is provided, detailing the steps for separating the Cu-Ni-Fe alloy and producing various concentrates. The study concludes that the major reason for poor separation efficiency lies in the oxidation processes and complex mineralogy of the middlings circuit feed, highlighting the challenges in optimizing Cu and Ni separations.

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Cite This Work

@article{04c8e8a4-4757-442a-9aad-2e51a03f9a9e,
  title={FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES OF INCO MATTE SEPARATION PROCESS},
  author={M. Xu and P.F. Wells},
  year={2003},
  language={en}
}
TY  - JOUR
TI  - FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES OF INCO MATTE SEPARATION PROCESS
AU  - M. Xu
AU  - P.F. Wells
PY  - 2003
LA  - en
ER  -

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