Abstract: A process for the production of ferro-nickel or nickel matte from a product liquor solution containing at least nickel, cobalt, iron and acid soluble impurities, said process including the steps of: (a) contacting the product liquor solution (7) containing the nickel, cobalt, iron and acid soluble impurities with an ion exchange resin (8), wherein the resin selectively absorbs nickel and iron from the solution leaving the cobalt and the acid soluble impurities in the raffinate (9); (b) stripping the nickel and iron from the resin with a sulfuric acid solution to produce an eluate (11) containing nickel and iron; (c) neutralising the eluate to precipitate a mixed nickel iron hydroxide product (13); and (d) reducing and smelting the mixed nickel iron hydroxide product to produce ferro-nickel (29) or nickel matte (24).

Abstract: A process for producing a ferronickel product from a mixed nickel iron hydroxide product, said process including the steps of: providing a mixed nickel iron hydroxide product; pelletising the mixed nickel iron hydroxide product to produce nickel iron hydroxide pellets; calcining the nickel iron hydroxide pellets to produce mixed nickel iron oxide pellets; and reducing the nickel iron oxide pellets with one or more reducing gases at high temperatures to produce ferronickel pellets.

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from a nickeliferous laterite ore including the steps of: providing a nickeliferous laterite ore and separating that ore into its low magnesium limonite fraction and high magnesium saprolite fraction; treating the limonite fraction in acid solution in a primary high pressure leach step to produce a primary leach slurry; adding the saprolite fraction to the primary leach slurry to initiate precipitation of iron as goethite and/or hematite, while simultaneously releasing further acid from the iron precipitation, to effect a secondary atmospheric leach step, producing a secondary leach slurry; wherein all water used to prepare the ore slurries and/or acid solutions has an ionic composition that substantially avoids jarosite formation.

Abstract: A sulfate process for producing titania from a titaniferous material is disclosed. The process includes leaching the titaniferous material and producing a leach liquor, separating titanyl sulfate from leach liquor, hydrolysis of the extracted titanyl sulfate, and thereafter calcining the solid phase produced in the hydrolysis step. The process is characterised by controlling the hydrolysis step and forming a selected particle size distribution of hydrated titanium oxides from titanyl sulfate.

Abstract: An atmospheric leaching process in the recovery of nickel and cobalt from a lateritic ore, the lateritic ore including a low magnesium ore fraction and a high magnesium ore fraction, the process including the steps of: (a) forming an aqueous pulp of the lateritic ore, (b) leaching the aqueous pulp with a concentrated mineral acid at atmospheric pressure to produce a slutty containing a pregnant leach liquor and a leach residue, (c) treating the pregnant leach liquor either separately or as part of the slurry to recover dissolved nickel and cobalt therefrom, leaving a magnesium barren solution, (d) treating the magnesium containing solution to recover a magnesium containing salt therefrom.

Abstract: An atmospheric leach process in the recovery of nickel and cobalt from lateritic ores, said processing including the steps of: a) separating the lateritic ore into a low magnesium containing ore fraction, and a high magnesium containing ore fraction by selective mining or post mining classification; b) separately slurrying the separated ore fractions; c) leaching the low magnesium containing ore fraction with concentrated sulphuric acid as a primary leach step; and d) introducing the high magnesium content ore slurry following substantial completion of the primary leach step and precipitating iron as goethite or another low sulphate containing form of iron oxide or iron hydroxide, wherein sulphuric acid released during iron precipitation is used to leach the high magnesium ore fraction as a secondary leach step.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from a nickeliferous oxidic ore by heap leaching, the process including the steps of a) forming the nickeliferous oxidic ore into one or more heaps; b) leaching the ore heap with a leach solution in a leach step wherein the leach solution includes an acid supplemented hypersaline water as the lixiviant, the hypersaline water having a total dissolved solids concentration greater than 30 g/l; and c) recovering the nickel and cobalt from the resultant heap leachate.

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from a nickeliferous laterite ore including the steps of: providing a nickeliferous laterite ore and separating that ore into its low magnesium limonite fraction and high magnesium saprolite fraction; treating the limonite fraction in acid solution in a primary high pressure leach step to produce a primary leach slurry; adding the saprolite fraction to the primary leach slurry to initiate precipitation of iron as goethite and/or hematite, while simultaneously releasing further acid from the iron precipitation, to effect a secondary atmospheric leach step, producing a secondary leach slurry; wherein all water used to prepare the ore slurries and/or acid solutions has an ionic composition that substantially avoids jarosite formation.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from nickel and cobalt containing ores, including the steps of first leaching a laterite ore and/or a partially oxidised sulfide ore with an acid solution to produce a pregnant leach solution containing at least dissolved nickel, cobalt and ferric ions, and subsequently leaching a sulfide ore or concentrate with the pregnant leach solution to produce a product liquor. Alternatively, the laterite ore and/or partially oxidised sulfide ore can be leached in a combined leach with the sulfide ore or concentrate. The ferric ion content in the pregnant leach solution or in the combined leach is sufficient to maintain the oxidation and reduction potential in the sulfide leach high enough to assist in leaching nickel from the sulfide ore or concentrate.

Abstract: A process for the production of ferro-nickel or nickel matte from a product liquor solution containing at least nickel, cobalt, iron and acid soluble impurities, said process including the steps of: (a) contacting the product liquor solution (7) containing the nickel, cobalt, iron and acid soluble impurities with an ion exchange resin (8), wherein the resin selectively absorbs nickel and iron from the solution leaving the cobalt and the acid soluble impurities in the raffinate (9); (b) stripping the nickel and iron from the resin with a sulfuric acid solution to produce an eluate (11) containing nickel and iron; (c) neutralising the eluate to precipitate a mixed nickel iron hydroxide product (13); and (d) reducing and smelting the mixed nickel iron hydroxide product to produce ferro-nickel (29) or nickel matte (24).

Abstract: A process for producing a ferronickel product from a mixed nickel iron hydroxide product, said process including the steps of: providing a mixed nickel iron hydroxide product; pelletising the mixed nickel iron hydroxide product to produce nickel iron hydroxide pellets; calcining the nickel iron hydroxide pellets to produce mixed nickel iron oxide pellets; and reducing the nickel iron oxide pellets with one or more reducing gases at high temperatures to produce ferronickel pellets.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite ores, the process including the steps of: a) beneficiating the ore to separate it into a beneficiated upgraded ore fraction and a coarse, siliceous low grade rejects fraction which is substantially free from fines and clay materials; b) separately processing the upgraded ore fraction for the recovery of nickel and cobalt; and c) subjecting the low grade rejects fraction to a heap leach process with an acid supplemented solution to create a heap leachate for further nickel and cobalt recovery processing.

Abstract: A sulfate process for producing titania from a titaniferous material is disclosed. The process includes leaching the titaniferous material and producing a leach liquor, separating titanyl sulfate from leach liquor, hydrolysis of the extracted titanyl sulfate, and thereafter calcining the solid phase produced in the hydrolysis step. The process is characterised by controlling the hydrolysis step and forming a selected particle size distribution of hydrated titanium oxides from titanyl sulfate.

Abstract: An atmospheric leach process in the recovery of nickel and cobalt from lateritic ores, said processing including the steps of: a) separating the lateritic ore into a low magnesium containing ore fraction, and a high magnesium containing ore fraction by selective mining or post mining classification; b) separately slurrying the separated ore fractions; c) leaching the low magnesium containing ore fraction with concentrated sulphuric acid as a primary leach step; and d) introducing the high magnesium content ore slurry following substantial completion of the primary leach step and precipitating iron as goethite or another low sulphate containing form of iron oxide or iron hydroxide, wherein sulphuric acid released during iron precipitation is used to leach the high magnesium ore fraction as a secondary leach step.

Abstract: A process for leaching an ore that contains nickel and magnesium includes mixing a microorganism that is capable of producing an organic acid, a nutrient, and an ore that contains nickel and magnesium for a period of time to dissolve the nickel and form a solution containing a nickel salt and a magnesium salt, separating the nickel from the magnesium in the salt solution.

Abstract: A process is provided for heap leaching ore to recover nickel. The process is particularly effective for ores that have a tangible clay component (i.e., greater than about 10% by weight). The process includes sizing the ore (where necessary), forming pellets by contacting ore with a lixiviant and agglomerating. The pellets are formed into a heap and leached with sulfuric acid to extract the metal values, including nickel. The leachate may be subjected to a nickel recovery operation without the need for intermediate neutralization.

Abstract: A method is provided for recovering nickel from high magnesium-containing lateritic ores which also contain iron. The ores which are referred to as saprolitic ores are subjected to leaching with a mineral acid from the group consisting of HCl, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and HNO.sub.3, HCl being preferred.Following leaching with HCl, for example, the pregnant solution obtained is separated from undissolved solids and the nickel preferably recovered by contacting the solution with a resin selective to nickel absorption. The raffinate remaining which contains iron and magnesium chlorides may be subjected to pyro-hydrolysis to produce their respective oxides and free HCl for recycle into the leaching system. The nickel is extracted from the resin using a stripping solution of said acid, and the nickel thereafter extracted from the nickel-loaded stripping solution.

Abstract: A process is provided for separating minerals from a mixture of minerals having different densities. The minerals are provided in the comminuted state to liberate the minerals one from the other, following which the minerals are slurried in an aqueous solution of lithium metatungstate selected to provide a density between the densities of the minerals to be separated, whereby the minerals having a density greater than that of the solution will sink and the minerals having a density less than that of the solution will float.

Abstract: A method is provided for the dissolution of at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals, gold and silver. The method comprises subjecting a material containing at least one of the precious metals to dissolution with a sulfuric acid solution maintained at a pH at least sufficient to complex the precious metal with bromide ions in the presence of an oxidizing agent, the amount of bromide ions in the solution being at least sufficient to form a soluble complex of the precious metal. The amount of oxidizing agent is at least sufficient to maintain a redox potential at least high enough to convert the precious metal to an ionic form conducive to forming a soluble bromide complex thereof.

Abstract: A method is provided for recovering at least one platinum group metal from an ore containing the same. The method comprises reducing the particle size of the ore to provide the platinum group metal in a leachable condition following which the ore is subjected to leaching with a sulfuric acid solution maintained at a pH of less than 1 during leaching. The solution contains an amount of a soluble bromide compound at least sufficient to complex the platinum group metal while maintaining an amount of an oxidizing agent dissolved in the solutions at least sufficient to maintain the platinum group metal in an ionic form conducive to forming a soluble bromide complex, thereby dissolving substantial amounts of the platinum group metal.