Nickel ore is divided into the sulfide copper-nickel ore and nickel oxide ore, beneficiation and processing methods of the two are completely different.
The most important beneficiation of copper-nickel sulfide ores are flotation, magnetic separation and re-election is usually as secondary beneficiation . When flotation of copper-nickel sulfide ore, often use the flotation of sulfide copper minerals flotation and foaming agent. A basic principle determines the flotation process, preferring to make the copper into the nickel concentrate, as far as possible to avoid nickel to enter the copper concentrate nickel in the copper concentrate smelting process losses, while the copper in the nickel concentrate can get a more complete recovery of copper-nickel ore flotation with the following four basic processes.
The direct use of preferential flotation or priority flotation process : if the copper content is much higher than nickel, it can use this process. Copper election into a separate concentrate has the advantages that the process can be directly obtained nickellower copper concentrate.
1) flotation processes: for sorting copper nickel ore is lower than the proceeds of copper-nickel mixed concentrate direct smelting into nickel matte.
2) Mixed - optimization of the flotation process: from ore flotation copper-nickel, elected from the mixed concentrate carved with low nickel copper concentrate and copper nickel concentrate the nickel concentrates by smelting. nickel matte, high-nickel matte flotation separation.
3) Mixed - flotation and recycling part of the nickel: When there are very different flotability in the various nickel minerals in the ore , first mixed flotation of copper-nickel, then further recovery poor floatability of nickel-containing minerals from tailings.
