Process for treating aqueous lateritic-ore pulps in pressurized acid technology

摘要

This invention relates to non-ferrous hydrometallurgy and, in particular, to the thickening of aqueous lateritic-ore pulps in pressurized acid technology. A novel process has been developed with a view to increasing the percentage of solids and productivity in operating-plant thickeners. The essence of the invention is the addition of metal salts (0.1 and 10.0 kg/t of ore) in acid medium (0.1-10.0 kg/t) to crude feed pulps, which, in appropriate amounts, generate 1-5% increases in solids concentrations and a reduction in the viscosity of thickened pulps of more than 40%, with a productivity increase of between 20 and 80% depending on the type of ore, maintaining a high solids percentage. The metal salts are iron and aluminium salts, in the presence of an acid.