Fecha de publicación: 01/01/2025 Fuente: Materials Abstract
Due to climate change, we are facing challenges to decarbonise and increase resource utilisation in critical metals. This requires more efficient processing, at higher throughputs and with reduced waste. Nickel is facing increasing demand due to the increase in demand for batteries in the push towards electrification. The existing hydrometallurgical technologies commonly used for nickel laterite ore leaching include HPAL (high pressurised acid leach), the Caron process, atmospheric sulfuric acid leach and heap leach. These technologies all have their disadvantages which make it difficult for them to meet the demands of the future with the current challenges that we are faced with. It is important when considering alternative processing methods that they meet the current climate change challenges by achieving a higher resource utilisation while moving towards the ultimate goal of zero waste. This chapter aims to showcase a number of new alternative leaching processes including nitric acid leaching, step temperature acid leaching (STAL) and hydrochloric acid leaching. The most important aspects of these new leaching processes are presented and compared with the existing nickel leaching technologies. These demonstrate through innovation a reduced waste future is here and a zero waste future may be possible.