Sodium Thiosulfate and Natural Sulfur: Novel Potential Additives for Selective Reduction of Limonitic Laterite Ore

Sungging Pintowantoro*, Akhmad Berryl Widyartha, Yuli Setiyorini, Fakhreza Abdul

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Abstract: The diminution of sulfide ore deposit as the main source of nickel extraction initiates the development of alternative methods to maximize the processing of low-grade nickel ore including limonitic laterites. Aiming to produce ferronickel with high nickel content and recovery, the study used sodium thiosulfate and natural sulfur as novel additives to be employed in selective reduction techniques. The reduction process was conducted at 1400 °C for 6 h in a coal–limestone bed. Ores and the as-reduced products were characterized by Emission Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to determine the elemental composition in the product and examine the phase transformation of ores. Results showed that utilization of 10%wt Na2S2O3 resulted in a product with 14.31% Ni content and 93.22% recovery, while the employment of 10%wt natural sulfur yielded a product with 13.62% Ni content and its recovery reaching 97.91%. Phase identification of slag product using XRD pointed out that both Na2S2O3 and natural sulfur additives assisted the transformation of ore mineralogy in which the kamacite and taenite phases of metal products confirm the successful formation of ferronickel (Fe, Ni). Furthermore, slag products showed a large amount of iron compound, confirming the fact of low iron recovery. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)481-494
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Sustainable Metallurgy
Volume7
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2021

Keywords

  • Additive
  • Limonitic laterites
  • Natural sulfur
  • Selective reduction
  • Sodium thiosulfate

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Sodium Thiosulfate and Natural Sulfur: Novel Potential Additives for Selective Reduction of Limonitic Laterite Ore'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this