Solvent extraction design consideration for the Tati Activox® plant

The Activox® process is a hydrometallurgical process route developed by Norilsk Process Technology to treat a wide variety of metal sulphide concentrates1. A combination of ultra fine grinding, which activates the sulphide minerals and oxidation at a relatively low temperature and pressure, form the core of the patented technology, which is expected to provide a competitive alternative to the traditional pyrometallurgical process routes. Work on the Tati Activox® Project (TA®P) started in 1998 with laboratory testwork. The development towards commercialization has advanced systematically from laboratory-scale testing in Australia through various studies to the design, construction and successful operation of a 1:170 scale demonstration plant on the Phoenix mine site in the North Eastern district of Botswana, Southern Africa. In 2006 Hatch was awarded the contract for the execution of the Botswana Metal Refinery (BMR) for TA®P. This hydrometallurgical refinery is designed to produce 25000 tpa nickel and 22000 tpa copper as LME grade cathodes and 630 tpa cobalt as a cobalt carbonate. ROBLES, E., CRONJE, I., and NEL, G. Solvent extraction design consideration for the Tati Activox® plant. Hydrometallurgy Conference 2009, The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2008.