Effect of a thermal pretreatment on dissolution kinetics of a limonitic laterite ore in chloride media

Abstract The effect of a thermal pretreatment on the kinetic parameters and rate-controlling step for nickel leaching dissolution in hydrochloric acid‑sodium chloride solutions from a low – grade Colombian nickel laterite (1.15% Ni, 0.12% Co and 41.1% Fe), was evaluated. The mineralogical analysis showed that nickel is associated with iron in the form of hematite (Fe2O3) and goethite (FeOOH) within the calcined and uncalcined ore, respectively. The hydrochloric acid and total chloride ions concentrations, as well as the leaching temperature, were shown to have a direct effect on nickel extraction. The experiments showed that ~92% of nickel can be dissolved after only 25 min in a 3 M HCl and 2 M NaCl solution when the leaching temperature was increased to 60 °C, after the sample had been previously calcined at 430 °C for 1 h. Nickel dissolution can be described by the chemical reaction-controlled shrinking particle model for both the calcined and uncalcined sample with apparent activation energies of 98 kJ/mol and 103 kJ/mol, respectively. This result suggests that a thermal pretreatment stage does not affect the nickel reaction mechanism, although it may liberate the nickel within the laterite structure.