Gipronikel Institute LLC, Saint Petersburg, Russia:
L. B. Tsymbulov, Director of the Research & Development Department, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor
V. I. Maksimov, Head of the Laboratory for Geological Studies of Raw Materials

L. Sh. Tsemekhman, Editorial Board Member at Tsvetnye Metally, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, e-mail: lev.tsem1@gmail.com

In the period from 1970 to 1980, five copper-nickel ore deposits of commercial significance were discovered in the Voronezh Region. In February 2012, Rosnedra announced a tender to choose a mining contactor for these deposits. Mednogorsk Copper-Sulphur Plant, a part of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, won that tender. In the middle of the 1990s, Gipronikel Institute received an ore sample taken from the Yelan deposit, which had the following composition, % wt: 1.3 Ni; 0.13 Cu; 0.038 Co; 11.1 Fe; 4.6 S; 46.9 SiO₂; 11.2 MgO; 0.03 As. What differentiates these ores from the process point of view is a drastically high nickel-tocopper ratio (~10:1) and high concentrations of arsenic and magnesium oxide. Gipronikel Institute developed an ore concentration process that enabled to produce both medium-quality (5.8–8.5% Ni; 17–26% S; 7–12% MgO) and high quality (13.5% Ni; 30% S; 5% MgO) concentrates. The paper examines some pyrometallurgical techniques that can be used to process the Voronezh concentrates. A laboratory study was conducted to confirm the behaviour of arsenic. The paper examines the possibility to process the Voronezh concentrates at the sites owned by UMMC. Combined processing of copper and copper-nickel concentrates would not be feasible. To be able to process copper-nickel concentrates, the site will need to undergo a major revamping requiring some capital costs. To choose the best option, one should conduct studies in the following areas:
– optimization of the concentration processes applicable to the Voronezh ores;
– smelting in a single- and dual-zone Vanyukov furnace;
– oxidizing roasting of the concentrate and reducing roasting of the hot cinders in a DC electric furnace;
– hydrometallurgical processing of high-grade mattes and converter mattes.

1. Spiridonov G. V., Kravtsova O. A., Khashkovskaya T. N. The material composition of the Yelan deposit ores – a new type of nickel sulphide raw material. Research papers of Gipronikel Institute: Optimized process, equipment and study methods in heavy non-ferrous metals industry. Saint Petersburg, 1992. pp. 119–128.
2. Disputable nickel. Ekspert Ural. 2012. No. 27 (518). Available at: https://expert.ru/ural/2012/27/spornyij-nikel/ (Accessed: 21.07.2020).
3. Tsemekhman L. Sh., Fomichev V. B., Ertseva L. N., Kaytmazov N. G. et al. The atlas of mineral raw materials, technological industrial products and marketable products of the Polar Division of OJSC Norilsk Nickel MMC. Moscow : “Ore and Metals” Publishing House, 2010. 336 p.
4. Kojo I. V., Makinen T., Hannialu P. Direct Outokumpu Nickel Flash Smelting Process (DON) – High metal recoveries with minimum emissions. NICKEL-COBALT 97: Proceedings of Nickel-Cobalt International Symposium, Sudbury, Aug. 17–20. 1997. Montreal. Vol. III. pp. 25–34.
5. Tsymbulov L. B., Tsemekhman L. Sh., Klementiev V. V. et al. Understanding the behaviour of sulphur and arsenic when roasting sulphide concentrates produced from the copper-nickel deposits of the Voronezh Region. Bulletin of the Mining and Metallurgical Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences of the Russian Federation: Research papers. Novokuznetsk, 1996. pp. 43–52.
6. Tsymbulov L. B., Tsemekhman L. Sh., Rusakov M. R. et al. Behaviour of arsenic in the processing of copper-nickel sulphide ores. NICKEL-COBALT 97 Pyrometallurgical operations, the Environment and Vessel Intergrity in Nonferrous Smelting and Converting. Montreal, Aug. 17–20. 1997. Vol. III. pp. 353–360.
7. Tsemekhman L. Sh., Paretskiy V. M. Modern processing techniques for copper-nickel sulphide concentrates: A review. Tsvetnye Metally. 2020. No. 1. pp. 24–32. DOI: 10.17580/tsm.2020.01.04.
8. Thompson smelter, refinery closing in 2018. Flin Flon Reminder. November 26, 2015.
9. Schoncwille R., Boinsscault M., Ducharme D., Chenier J. et al. Update on Falconbridge’s Sudbury nickel smelter. Nickel and Cobalt 2005. Challengers in Extraction and Production. CIM. 2005. pp. 479–498.
10. King M. G., Schonewille R., Grand G. A mid-term report on Falconbridge’s 15-year technology plan for nickel. Proceedings of EMC. 2005. pp. 935–954.
11. Luckos A., Denton G., Hoed P. Current and potential applications of fluidbed technology in the ferroalloy industry. Infacon XI. 2007. pp. 123–132.
12. Arthur P. S., Purtington P. J. Latest developments with copper Isasmelt. Proceedings of the sixth international Copper-Cobre Conference, The Carlos Diaz Symposium on Pyrometallurgy. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 25–30, 2007. Vol. III (Book 2). pp. 3–17.
13. Onishchin B. P. Nickel sites of the People’s Republic of China. Moscow, 1998. pp. 3–51.
14. Tsymbulov L. B., Knyazev M. V., Tsemekhman L. Sh., Ryumin A. A. et al. Pilot testing of the copper-nickel concentrate briquetting process in a dual-zone Vanyukov furnace. Tsvetnye Metally. 2008. No. 6. pp. 30–36.
15. Tsymbulov L., Tsemekhman L., Knyazev M. Oxide nickel ores smelting of ferronickel in two-zone Vaniukov furnace. Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly. 2011. Vol. 50, No. 2. pp. 135–144.
16. UMMC to present a project to develop a nickel deposit near Voronezh till 2020. 11 OCT 2017. TASS. Available at: https://tass.ru/ekonomika/4637071.
17. Toxic Reduction Plan Summaries. Copper Cliff Smelter Complex. Vale, 2012, December. Available at: http://www.vale.com/canada/EN/aboutvale/communities/sudbury/sudbury-environment/environmental-reporting-sudbury/Documents/Mill-TRA-Plan-Summary-plus-Thallium.pdf (Accessed: 22.07.2020).
18. Paul E. Queneau and Samuel W. Marcuson. Oxygen Pyrometallurgy at Copper Cliff — A Half Century of Progress. JOM. 1996. Vol. 48, Iss. 1. pp. 14–21.