Chemical upgrading of deep-sea manganese nodules

Abstract

Studies were carried out on deep-sea manganese nodules to enrich nickel, copper and cobalt values in the pre-concentrate using alkali pressure-leaching route. The different process parameters studied involve alkali strength, leaching time and temperature, oxygen pressure and slurry pulp density. This process is capable of producing a pre-concentrate which is 60% of the dry nodule's weight analysing 1.5% nickel, 1.35% Cu and 0.15% cobalt recovering more than 99% nickel and 100% copper and cobalt in the pre-concentrate.