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conferenceseries
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Volume 7
Innovative Energy & Research
ISSN: 2576-1463
Advanced Energy Materials 2018
August 13-14, 2018
August 13-14, 2018 | Dublin, Ireland
20
th
International Conference on
Advanced Energy Materials and Research
A sustainable technology for extraction of cobalt and nickel from laterite ores
Guangqing Zhang
1
, Oleg Ostrovski
2
, Jun Yang
2
, Yong Li Cui
2
and
Sharif Jahanshahi
3
1
University of Wollongong, Australia
2
University of NSW, Australia
3
Meta-Logical Solutions Pty Ltd., Australia
C
obalt and nickel are two of the key base metals for the production of high energy density batteries. Their availability and
costs are key factors that will determine the success in popularizing electric vehicles in the future. This paper presents
a potential technology for sustainable extraction of cobalt and nickel from laterite ores. The major phases in a garnierite
laterite ore include chlorite, talc, hematite, and quartz. In the technology, cobalt and nickel oxides are selectively reduced in a
controlled atmosphere to their metal states while the reduction of iron oxides is minimized. At 740°C in 60 vol.% CO-40 vol.%
CO
2
, 91% Ni and 94% Co in the particles <53 μm and 85% Ni, 99% Co in the particles 53-200 μm but less than 20% Fe are
reduced to metals. The reduced metals are then carbonylated by carbon monoxide in a pressurized reactor at ~100°C. Using
sulfur as a catalyst and under CO pressure of 15 atm., 97% of nickel from reduction of NiO is carbonylated. The conditions for
the carbonylation of nickel from reduced laterite ore needs to be optimized. The reduced nickel and iron are separated from
the ore due to formation of volatile carbonyls, and are recovered from the carbon monoxide stream. Cobalt carbonyl left with
the reduced ore is further separated by vaporization or dissolution and recovered as metal product. The proposed technology
has the advantages of low energy costs and low production costs, and so will be suitable for the extraction of cobalt and nickel
from the low-grade laterite ores which will expand the cobalt and nickel resources, and so contributes to the sustainable
development of the related metals and their applications.
Recent Publications:
1. Olivetti E A, Ceder G, Gaustad G G and Fu X (2017) Lithium-ion battery supply chain considerations: analysis of
potential bottlenecks in critical metals. Joule 1(2):229-243
2. Yang J, Zhang G, Ostrovski O and Jahanshahi S (2013) Changes in an Australian laterite ore in the process of heat
treatment. Minerals Engineering 54:110-115.
3. Yang J, Zhang G, Jahanshahi S and Ostrovski O (2015) Reduction of a garnieritic laterite ore by CO-CO
2
gas mixtures.
INFACON XIV 518-527.
Biography
Guangqing Zhang has expertise in the development of sustainable technologies for metals production. He has applied the kinetics and thermodynamics and
engineering knowledge in the development of alternative technologies and improvement of current technologies for metals production. His research fields include
process metallurgy, energy conversion, and recycling of waste materials.
gzhang@uow.edu.auGuangqing Zhang et al., Innov Ener Res 2018, Volume 7
DOI: 10.4172/2576-1463-C1-002