The NickeLeach® process offer a cost effective, environmentally friendly method of processing lateritic ores and concentrates to produce separate nickel and cobalt products. The process operates at ambient temperature and pressure, greatly reducing the cost and complexity of a process plant when compared with all other available technologies.
The acid processes consume vast quantities of sulphuric acid whilst NickeLeach® recycles the leaching agent greatly reducing costs. The omnivorous nature of the acid processes results in the production of very substantial volumes of precipitated wastes (hæmatite, gœthite, jarosite, gypsum etc) which need to be stored in a lined tailings facility to eliminate any acid drainage problems. The highly selective nature of the NickeLeach® process eliminates any precipitation steps, the tailings revegetate rapidly and can be stored safely with minimal monitoring.
The ambient conditions used in the NickeLeach® process greatly reduce the capital cost of the plant compared to the high cost materials required in the acid processes. The recycling of the main leach reagent also greatly reduces the cost compared to acid processes.