JSC “Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company”, Monchegorsk, Russia.

K. M. Volchek, Chief Specialist, e-mail: VolchekKM@kolagmk.ru
S. G. Besedovskiy, Chief Executive Officer

Kola Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Monchegorsk, Russia.

A. G. Kasikov, Head of Department of Hydrometallurgy of Cobalt, Nickel and Noble Metals of Laboratory of Development and Introduction of Chemical Technology Processes
Yu. N. Neradovskiy, Leading Researcher, Geological Institute of Kola Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences

Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company introduced the complex technological schemes, based on the processes of calcination, leaching and electric extraction of nickel and copper. This introduction initiated the additional researches and development of new technological processes of obtaining of noble metals’ concentrates. In contrast to ordinary slimes, obtained in the time of electrolytic refining of rough nickel and copper, the residues, formed during the realization of new technological schemes, are characterized by rather high content of iron and balast impurities, which significantly complicates and decreases the processing indices of such products by the slimes processing scheme. Methods of silver and platinum metals concentration and hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical refining were tested in laboratory and industrial scales for the purpose of obtaining of saleable concentrates of noble metals from leaching residues. The concentrates, containing 2.5–10.0% of noble metals, were obtained from copper scoria leaching residues with application of flotation method. According to the nature of noble metal, extraction ratio accounted 52.0–96.7%. Considering the residues of hydrochloride leaching of nickel powder, the highest degree of noble metals extraction was reached during the smelting of residues on metallic or sulphide-metallic alloy, which formed the condition concentrates of platinum and palladium.

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