Pyro and Hydrometallurgical Recovery of Non-Ferrous Metals from Oceanic Nodules

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibilities of recovering non-ferrous metals from polymetallic nodules originating from the ocean floor by pyro- and hydrometallurgical methods. In the pyrometallurgical method, the effect of the addition of the binder and the slag-forming component on the efficiency of the reduction process was examined. The reduction was to lead to separation of the fraction rich in Mn and Fe (slag phase) from the metallic phase containing non-ferrous metals (mainly Cu and Ni). The hydrometallurgical method, on the other hand, consisted in leaching of manganese and iron into the solution with mineral acid without and with the addition of organic acids. At the current stage of research for each of the methods used, separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals was obtained and concentrates of these last ones suitable for further processing by copper pyrometallurgy technologies.