Comparing iron phosphate and hematite precipitation processes for iron removal from chloride leach solutions

摘要

The presence of iron in pregnant leach solutions presents significant processing challenges. The removal of iron impurities from leach solutions by means of iron phosphate precipitation may be a feasible alternative to more conventional iron oxide/iron hydroxide precipitation processes. This study compares the performance of the iron phosphate precipitation process with that of the hematite process at different operating temperatures (40 degrees C-90 degrees C), pH conditions (pH 1-pH 3) and seeding measures for the removal of iron from a chloride leach solution. The extent of iron removal, co-precipitation of nickel and copper, and solid-liquid separation were used as performance criteria for the comparison.