LLC “Tekhnolit”, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

I. V. Fedoseev, Scientific and Innovation Effort Consultant, e-mail: prof.igor.fedoseev@gmail.com

Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg, Russia:
M. Sh. Barkan, Assistant Professor, Chair of Geoecology, e-mail: barkan-msh@spmi.ru

Hydrometallurgical technology of processing of sulfide copper-nickel middlings (basically converter matte) was developed and offered to introduction at MMC “Norilsk Nickel”. The technology makes possible the obtaining of pure copperless chloride nickel- and cobalt-containing electrolyte, which can be processed with cathode metals obtaining. However, this technology does not completely allow the separation of copper from nickel, which makes its pure obtaining difficult. This paper offers the technology, allowing the separation of non-ferrous metals, containing in the converter matte, with obtaining pure chloride nickel-cobalt electrolytes and high-pure sulfate copper electrolyte. The offered technology includes:
– oxidizing chlorine and sulfuric acid leaching of converter matte with obtaining multicomponent sulfate-chloride solution with complete extraction of copper, nickel and cobalt with molar Cl^– to Cu²⁺ ratio not more than 1.5;
– extraction of pure salt CuCl from this solution by processing with technological producer gas, containing CO (air, water or mixed generator gases, and conversed methane), with atmospheric pressure and t = 20–60 ^оС with copper sedimentation ratio ~95%;
– complete copper removal from solution during the interaction with metallized fraction of converter matte with obtaining the copper sulfide sent to leaching;
– SO₄^2– removal from copperless solution by CaCl₂ influence, filtrate dividing on pure chloride electrolytes and obtaining cathode nickel and cobalt by electrolysis with insoluble anodes;
– processing of pure CuCl salt with obtaining copper powder, cathode copper or both products.

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