Polar Branch of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, Norilsk, Russia

D. S. Silin, Project Manager of the Project Office for the Implementation of Water Treatment Plant Projects, e-mail: SilinDS@nornik.ru
L. Yu. Brusnichkina-Kirillova, Chief Manager of the Engineering Group, Project Office for the Implementation of Water Treatment Plant Projects, e-mail: Brusnichkina-KirillovaLYu@nornik.ru
D. О. Midyukov, Chief Concentrator of the Technical Department, e-mail: MidyukovDO@nornik.ru
V. V. Velichko, Leading Engineer of the Laboratory of Physical and Chemical Analysis of the Center of Engineering Support of Production, e-mail: VelichkoVV@nornik.ru

To reduce environmental impact and decrease the volume of waste disposed in landfills, the possibility of involving sludge from the treatment of mine wastewater in the production process of the Polar Branch of PJSC Norilsk Nickel MMC has been considered. The sludge from mine wastewater treatment is characterized by a high content of particles smaller than 0.011 mm (36.2–63.4%). The main phases of the sludge are calcite Ca(CO₃) and clinochlore Mg₅Al(Si,Al)₄O₁₀(OH)₈. Valuable components (0.6–1.9% Cu, 0.3–1.5% Ni, 0.02–0.07% Co) are concentrated in the fine-grained material with a particle size of less than 0.044 mm, with the majority contained in the fraction below 0.022 mm. Laboratory studies aimed at determining the qualitative and quantitative performance indicators of flotation of mine wastewater treatment sludge, using the process flow sheet adopted at the Talnakh Concentrator of the Polar Branch, have revealed low beneficiation efficiency. Potential losses of valuable components with flotation tailings have ranged from 21% to 78%. To assess the feasibility of processing the sludge in pyrometallurgical production, pilot-scale tests have been conducted involving smelting in Vanyukov furnaces at the Copper Plant. The results have shown that the addition of the test material at approximately 1% of the metal-bearing charge does not disrupt the smelting process. To confirm the technical and economic feasibility of involving mine wastewater treatment sludge in the pyrometallurgical production of the Polar Branch of PJSC Norilsk Nickel MMC, further resource tests have been deemed necessary.

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