Introduction to the stirred milling of nickel laterites for upgrading nickel

摘要

The stirred milling of nickel laterites offers possibilities for improving liberation and selective size reduction of soft nickel-bearing minerals in laterites. Batch grinding tests were performed in a Netzsch~(TM) LME4 stirred mill on siliceous goethitic, goethitic, and saprolitic nickel laterites. Tests on the -2,000 mu m sample displayed the effects of selective comminution. The -38 urn product of grinding the -2,000/+38 mu m feed confirmed the effects of selective grinding and nickel upgrading. Size classification followed by stirred milling is recommended for nickel upgrading. The energy requirement in the stirred milling was also investigated.