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Near Infrared Applications in Nickel Mining and Exploration | ASD Inc.

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http://www.asdi.com/applications/mining/minerals-analysis/near-infrared...

Near Infrared Applications in Nickel Mining and Exploration Overview

Instrumentation

Nickel is the third most abundant metal found on Earth, the main sources of which are sulphide and lateritic ore deposits. Because lateritic ore deposits have spectrally active features in the near infrared (NIR) region (350-2500 nm), NIR spectroscopy provides a valuable tool in the nickel mining process, from nickel exploration and characterization through the concentration and smelting of the finished ore product.

Nickel Exploration There are two types of nickel laterite, both of which feature NIR-active minerals: Limonite type laterites (or oxide type) are highly enriched in iron due to very strong leaching of magnesium and silica. They consist largely of goethite and contain 1-2% nickel incorporated in goethite. Absence of the limonite zone in the ore deposits is due to erosion. Silicate type (or saprolite type) nickel ore formed beneath the limonite zones. It contains generally 1.5-2.5% nickel and consists largely of Mg-depleted serpentine in which nickel is incorporated. In pockets and fissures of the serpentinite, green garnierite can be present in minor quantities but with high nickel content – mostly 20-40%. Lateritic nickel ore deposits constitute more than 70% of the world’s nickel resources. In lateritic nickel ore, the distribution of nickel ore can be controlled by goethite, smectite and nontronite. These minerals, along with serpentine group minerals like garnierite which is often found in silicate type nickel ore, are spectral active minerals and can be identified using near infrared instruments like the TerraSpec 4. Nickel laterites often experience a four-phase weathering process of the host rock during their formation. These phases are all suitable for near-infrared (NIR) analysis. Laterite is often a layered soil deposit, and is exposed during the weathering phase. If nickel, and its associated spectrally active minerals, are concentrated within that layer, NIR is “an efficient and effective sampling tool” to determine compositional data of nickel laterites as recently documented by Yang et al, 2013 in New Caledonia. The trusted, portable TerraSpec 4 NIR spectrometer provides rapid mineralogy data in nickel exploration, on the spot. The TerraSpec analyzer is the de facto instrument for geologists worldwide.

Nickel Ore Mining Process In nickel ore mining, nickel sulphide ores can typically be concentrated through a flotation process and further purified via extraction or smelting to produce a nickel matte. Nickel laterite separation and extraction is much more difficult and often requires larger economies of scale relative to sulphide ores. High-pressure acid leach or heap leach followed by solvent extraction electrowinning are

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Near Infrared Applications in Nickel Mining and Exploration | ASD Inc.

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http://www.asdi.com/applications/mining/minerals-analysis/near-infrared...

often employed for nickel recovery from lateritic ores. The high energy costs associated with these processes often necessitate the use of higher grade ore feedstock.

A range of minerals can cause problems in the flotation process and many of those can be identified using NIR. Common problem minerals like clays and talc, are spectrally active and can easily be identified and quantified using an NIR instrument such as the TerraSpec 4 mineral analyzer. Used by mine operators across the globe for analyses such as these, the TerraSpec analyzer is well suited for mineralogy analysis in nickel ore mining, due to its fast, accurate and repeatable measurements, which can speed data into the process and allow for more a more flexible, efficient approach to ore processing.

NIR Spectrometers and Nickel Laterite Analysis Nickel laterite’s NIR-active spectral features make it ideally suited for the TerraSpec 4 mineral analyzer. The TerraSpec 4 instrument provides portable, quick and non-destructive analysis of nickel and its associated minerals in the lab or field. Contact us to find out how your nickel exploration or nickel ore mining process can benefit from the use of ASD’s rapid, rugged and portable NIR spectrometers. Reference Yang, K., Whitbourn, L., Mason, P., and Huntington, J., 2013, Mapping the Chemical Composition of Nickel Laterites with Reflectance Spectroscopy at Koniambo, New Caledonia: Economic Geology SeptemberOctober 2013 vol. 108 no. 6 1285-1299

TerraSpec 4 Standard-Res Mineral Analyzer

TerraSpec 4 Hi-Res Mineral Spectrometer

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The portable

4/24/2015 03:37

Near Infrared Applications in Nickel Mining and Exploration | ASD Inc.

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http://www.asdi.com/applications/mining/minerals-analysis/near-infrared...

4/24/2015 03:37