Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment
Applied Centre for Structural and Synchrotron Studies
Applied Centre for Structural and Synchrotron Studies
Project duration: 2004
Funding: Rio Tinto
Chief Investigators: Gayle Morris*, Stephen Grano*, Andrea
Gerson
Description:
Nickel laterites offer a
huge resource base which has the potential to provide a much greater
share of global nickel production which is currently dominated by
nickel sulphide resources. Nickel laterites have not been fully
exploited due to their complex mineralogy, notoriously low grade and
high processing costs.
The aim of this project is to therefore develop a more cost
effective process for treating nickel laterite ores. Improved
processing efficiency has potential cost savings in the order of
millions of dollars and may also enable the exploitation of
currently uneconomic deposits.
* Ian Wark Research Institute
