Mining, Minerals Processing and Metallurgical Engineering

Mechanism, kinetics and process assessment of efficient extraction of valuable metal from nickel sulfide ore by (NH4)2S2O8 direct oxidative leaching

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  • 1. School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China;

    2. School of Resources and Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China;

    3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China;

    4. Key Laboratory of Dielectric and Electrolyte Functional Material Hebei Province, School of Resources and Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China

Online published: 2026-01-28

Abstract

A clean and efficient process for the direct extraction of valuable metals from low-grade nickel sulfide ore through oxidative leaching with (NH4)2S2O8 under atmosphere pressure was proposed to address the growing demand for nickel and cobalt in the new energy industry. The effects of four key parameters on the metal leaching rates were systematically investigated. Characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM and EDS, were employed to analyze phase transformations during the leaching process. Under optimized conditions, approximately 96.5% of nickel, 95.5% of cobalt and 65.2% of copper were successfully extracted. The kinetics of the leaching process was explored to identify the controlling mechanisms of nickel, cobalt and copper dissolution, establishing activation energies and kinetic equations for each metal. The cleanliness and efficiency of this method were confirmed through comparisons with other extraction processes for nickel sulfide ore.

Cite this article

Rui-min YANG, Wen-ning MU, Yuan-hang ZHOU, Jun-jin MENG, Xue-fei LEI, Shao-hua LUO, Xue-yong DING . Mechanism, kinetics and process assessment of efficient extraction of valuable metal from nickel sulfide ore by (NH4)2S2O8 direct oxidative leaching[J]. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 2025 , 35(12) : 4253 -4265 . DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(25)66942-1

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