This project is for support of cooperative research by Dr. Renato Bautista of the Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno and Dr. C.K. Gupta of the Extractive Metallurgy Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research center (BARC) in Bombay, India. The project is to characterize the application of cupric chloride leaching to complex nickeliferous sulfide ores where the nickel is mainly present in the minerals millerite (NiS) and pentlandite (NiFeS). Experimental work will be done at BARC and mathematical modeling will be developed by the U. of Nevada team. The effect of different parameters on the rate of leaching of the nickel sulfides will be examined. The rate of dissolution of both millerite and pentlandite will be developed from the experimental data, including their rate constants and activation energies. The mathematical model will cover the leaching reactions and the simultaneous reactions in the solution phase. The information derived from the experimental work and the model will be applied to an indigenous nickel-copper sulfide concentrate. Scope: the project brings together two experienced scientists from India and the U.S. to work on a problem that has significant importance to the material processing industry in the U.S. and India. This collaboration meets the objective of the U.S.-India Cooperative Program.
