METHOD OF RECOVERING NICKEL FROM BIOLOGICALLY LEACHED SOLUTION Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: hydrometallurgy. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to recovering nickel from nickel-containing laterite ores and nickel-containing sulfide ores or their concentrates. In case of laterite ore, at least one microorganism, selectively leaching laterite ore, is used in aqueous solution with pH within 1 to 3 including nutrient medium for selected microorganism. Ore in the form of liquid suspension or ore in the form of heap (refuse), or ore loaded into tub is subjected to bioleaching over a period of time long enough to dissolve nickel, after which nickel solution is separated from precipitate. After that, nickel is selectively extracted from solution with involvement of ion-exchange polymer and recovered from polymer by a mineral acid. EFFECT: simplified process and increased degree of nickel recovery. 14 cl, 1 tbl, 2 ex