Nickel, cobalt and copper are at the forefront of the energy transition and expected to experience strong demand growth from electric vehicles, renewables and associated green infrastructure development in the medium to long term. However, these markets have faced challenging conditions and are likely to continue along a rocky road. This presentation will unravel the intricacies of these markets and what to expect in the years to come.

Study comparing HPAL and RKEF processing of laterite and sea nodules. Sea nodules are more viable, economically, than laterites in addition HPAL is better than RKEF and this study ignores politics.

Organic phase preloading is a commonly used process step especially for the battery metal solvent extractions. Organic phase preloading has been done in a certain way. However, due to the development in the solvent extraction process, organic phase preloading can also be optimised. In mixer settlers dispersion phase, separation is almost always done by the aid of gravity only. When considering the total CAPEX of a settler unit with the organic phase in a SX plant, settlers are the most expensive parts of the process. Some development points to degrease the size of the current settlers are discussed.

This paper presents an updated solvent extraction model for cobalt recovery from battery recycling using Cyanex 272, focusing on impurity control. The developed thermodynamic database, integrating experimental and theoretical data, accurately predicts cobalt partitioning and minimises impurity co-extraction. Process simulation optimises key conditions such as pH and temperature, maximising cobalt recovery and purity. The updated model enhances recycling efficiency, lowering costs and reducing environmental impact.

In addition to inadequate SX plant design, challenges in DRC SX operations over the past 16 years were mostly associated with the presence of colloidal silica, high TSS, and Mn in the PLS. For some reasons, contrarily to many solvent extraction plants in North and South America, and other parts of the world, Iron has not been that much an impurity of concern. Amongst others, these include the reductive conditions of agitation leaching required to leach cobalt ores.

The Atlas Materials Process uses hydrochloric acid leaching of nickel saprolite ores to extract nickel, cobalt, and magnesium into solution. The process is designed to be "zero waste" with the leach and purification residue suitable as an SCM material. Nickel and cobalt form a mixed hydroxide precipitate to support battery salt manufacturing. The options for magnesium recovery from solution as inorganic products and magnesium metal will be reviewed.

In HPAL autoclaves, agitators are essential for rapid and uniform mixing of ore suspension with sulfuric acid, preventing acid hotspots and ensuring high leaching rates. They also maintain ore particles in suspension for efficient transfer between compartments. Despite effective designs like the EPAL impeller, deposit formation on impellers and autoclave walls remains challenging, as noted at the ALTA Conference 2024. A new energy-efficient impeller with a specially engineered shape has been developed to minimize deposits. Optimised through advanced simulations, it has been tested on various scales and is ready for large-scale implementation.

CSIRO has developed a novel process for treating a variety of nickel laterite ores such as limonite, smectite, and saprolite through a hydrochloric acid (HCl) leaching route. The leaching of laterites performed under the conditions of 25% w/w pulp density, 24.5% w/w HCl, 90°C and 2-3 h reported 94-99% Ni, 97-99% Co and 88-97% Fe extractions from the limonite, smectite and saprolite ores. The overall process works under atmospheric conditions below 100°C using <25% w/w HCl with the provision to regenerate HCl from the calcium chloride bearing barren liquor after Ni/Co recovery as mixed hydroxide.

Purolite^TM ion exchange resins play an important role in the hydrometallurgical processing of metals. Applications range from the recovery of gold and uranium, to purification of lithium liquors right through to playing a critical role in the recycling of batteries. Our team of experts are excited to be part of the Alta conference again - it is a true world-class conference.

The demand for critical metals like nickel, copper, cobalt, and PGMs is surging due to their vital role in renewable energy technologies. Traditional recovery methods face challenges like high reagent consumption, environmental impact, and complex ore compositions. Glycine leach technology (GTL) offers a sustainable alternative, leveraging glycine's selective leaching properties for efficient metal recovery. The integrated process includes base metal leaching, PGM extraction, and PLS treatments, achieving 80-95% overall recovery. This innovative approach minimises environmental impact, reduces operational costs, and addresses low-grade ore challenges, positioning GTL as a game-changer for the future of green hydrometallurgy.

Draslovka is developing Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT) to recover both precious metals like gold and base metals like copper. Glycine, the active lixiviant, can complex both metals, enabling their joint recovery. Traditional methods extract copper first via acid leaching, then gold with cyanide. Draslovka’s GlyCat™ process combines cyanide and glycine, allowing gold to be extracted before copper. Testing showed an average recovery of 70% gold and 45% copper, making GlyCat™ efficient, safe, and sustainable.

Dynamic Scale Modelling (DSM) was developed in the early1990s using Dimensional Analysis (Froude Number) as its basis. Froude Number does not scale with cohesive materials which require additional inputs to validate behaviour in scale models. These materials can be very complex to “calibrate." This presentation speaks to the advances made in coupling DSM and Discrete Element Method (DEM) modelling to enhance transfer chute design.

This paper provides an overview of the latest advancements in internal protective linings for flash and pressure vessels used in High Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) and Pressure Oxidation (POX) applications. Recent developments in lining materials, including high-resistance alloys, rubber linings, and bricks, are examined, with emphasis on durability, cost-efficiency, and installation techniques. Practical implications for improving vessel longevity and minimising maintenance in aggressive leaching environments are highlighted.

With the focus from battery manufacturers on ever-increasing purity requirements—making batteries perform better and more safely, it is valuable for this industry to understand the critical process involved in achieving the high purity, and what factors limit purity of the battery-grade nickel and cobalt precursors.

Autoclave process feedback control is highly logical but also mathematically complex and often nonintuitive. Misconceptions often lead to tripping, underutilization of equipment, process variability, equipment failure, and downtime resulting in very costly losses. For that reason, skillfully applied process control theory solutions typically have a very short payback period. This presentation will give several autoclave-related control theory applications, along with conceptual mathematics and historical autoclave anecdotes.

In this showcase project, our objectives were to support incremental production gains through application of innovative technology. Chemical engineering and machine learning techniques were leveraged to create a model that was validated against two years of operational data. When deployed in real-time, the "best" control set points are chosen from thousands of potential operational scenarios, and recommended to the operators, to enable faster reaction to PLS changes.

The relatively recent growth in nickel product options provides project developers with a wider suite of saleable options than ore, intermediate, or refined metal that have traditionally been considered. Options including nickel sulphate and precursor active material (pCAM) may bring forward considerations such as project funding or offtake partners in the project development cycle, as the customer for an intermediate product becomes the competition for pCAM sales. This presentation will outline the relative technical and economic aspects of producing mixed hydroxide (MHP), mixed sulphide (MSP), nickel cathode, nickel powder, nickel sulphate, and pCAM from sulphide concentrate.

Multistage stepped letdown using multiple flash tanks is a common feature of battery metals autoclaves. Designers will specify either a letdown control valve or a fixed choke for the final-stage flash tank. The fixed choke configuration might provide capital cost savings, but the implications on letdown control, throughput, and life-cycle costs are more nuanced. This presentation will review decision-related criteria to help you judge between the two.

High-Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) and Pressure Oxidation (POX) operations place extreme demands on critical equipment, necessitating innovative solutions to enhance reliability, performance, and service life. This presentation showcases a selection of case studies that highlight Callidus Group’s expertise in engineering and specialty welding to address these challenges.The first case study examines widespread corrosion issues affecting both valve bodies and trims in a POX operation, detailing the engineering interventions that mitigated degradation and extended asset life. The second case study explores the catastrophic failure of a rod valve, where Callidus redesigned and engineered a more robust solution to withstand severe operating conditions. The third case study presents the successful application of titanium nitride surface modification at a mine site, demonstrating its effectiveness in preventing erosion across multiple components. These real-world examples illustrate how targeted engineered modifications and advanced repair methodologies significantly improve equipment reliability and operational efficiency in aggressive metallurgical environments.

The presentation will describe a new online slurry analyser, called the "Mineral and Elemental Analyser" (MEA). This technology, developed by CSIRO, enables simultaneous, real-time measurement of process stream mineralogy and chemistry. Plant trials of the MEA technology will be presented, including how the technology is being used at each installation to address specific measurement applications, the challenges presented, and outcomes.