Improvements in the pyrometallurgical processing of nickel oxide and laterite ores at QNI Yabulu, North Queensland

位于昆士兰州的QNI亚布卢工厂是出口市场镍和钴金属的重要供应商。该公司正计划扩大业务规模，但面临两个重要的可持续性问题。一是最近欧洲法规的变化，要求镍金属产品中残留的氧化镍含量非常低。第二个问题涉及到确保镍和钴的供应和提高从氧化物矿石中回收镍和钴。需要更多的基本科学信息，以便更好地了解这些材料在高温处理过程中发生的复杂化学反应，并指导产品质量、回收率和工艺效率的改进。

The QNI Yabulu operation in Queensland is an important supplier of nickel and cobalt metals to the export market. The company is planning to expand the scale of the operations but is faced with two important sustainability issues. One is the recent changes to the European regulations that require very low levels of residual nickel oxide in the nickel metal product. The second issue relates to ensuring the supply and improved recovery of nickel and cobalt from oxide-based ores. Further fundamental scientific information is required to provide improved understanding of the complex chemical reactions occurring during the high temperature treatment of these materials, and to guide improvements in product quality, recovery and process efficiency