Processing history at Vale Canada’s (Inco’s) iron ore recovery plant
CIM Journal, Vol. 4, No. 4, 2013
B. R. Conard
BRConard Consulting, Inc, Oakville, ON
An iron ore recovery plant was operated by Inco from 1955 to 1980 near Sudbury, Ontario. As exposures to specific nickel substances have been associated with adverse respiratory endpoints, it is important to understand processes giving rise to such substances. This manuscript discusses the process and equipment, the propensity for aerosol formation, and operational procedures used by Inco in roasting a pyrrhotite concentrate, reducing the nickel in the formed oxide, leaching the nickel in ammoniacal solution, purifying the resulting solution, making green or black NiO, and producing iron oxide pellets. Industrial hygiene measurements are also reported.
