Rotary dryer Is The Key to Laterite Nickel Ore Processing

By: FTM MachineryJune 03rd,2021

With the rapid development of social industry, the consumption of nickel continues to increase, and nickel sulfide ore with higher nickel grades is also increasingly depleted. The effective development and utilization of laterite nickel ore has attracted more and more countries' attention.

However, one of the main challenges facing laterite ores is their high moisture content, and depending on the processing method, it is necessary to remove moisture. For this reason, the industry relies on rotary dryers.

Laterite nickel boom

Sulfide mineral resources—the main source of nickel in the world so far—have been declining, because the existing high-quality resources are exhausted and newly discovered mineral deposits are reduced, leaving only laterite nickel ore.

At present, most of the known or expected laterite nickel reserves in the world are laterite-type deposits, accounting for about 70% of the global nickel resources. Nickel - bearing limonite is one of the typical laterite deposits, and will be the main source of nickel, iron and cobalt in the future. As the reserves of high-grade nickel sulfide ore continues to decrease, and the demand for nickel used in electric vehicle batteries, stainless steel and renewable energy technologies continues to rise, so laterite nickel deposit will become the main mining object of nickel in the future because of its rich nickel.

Demand for Nickel Laterite Rotary Dryer

Although drying is a common first step in many mineral processing operations, it is essential for red clay, which is usually mined on the surface in tropical regions and the water content of up to 30%. This high moisture content gives red clay a moist and sticky quality, which makes it difficult for most of the technology and equipment used in beneficiation to be further processed. Processing the material as it is may clog the equipment and cause other processing problems.

To avoid such challenges, the drying step is essential to remove free moisture In order to beneficiate from the ore. The moisture content is usually reduced to about 5-8%, but be careful not to over-dry, as this will cause it to become dusty.

Why Choose a Rotary Dryer for Nickel Laterite

As nickel continues to play a greater role in meeting future sustainable development goals, and sulfide ore resources decrease, laterite ore will be increasingly used to meet nickel demand. However, the wet and viscous characteristics of red clay require that the ore be dried in most cases before further processing can continue. For this reason, a rotary dryer is needed. Rotary dryers are known for its sturdy design and structure. They also provide many other advantages:

Simple structure, large production capacity.

Energy saving, little equipment running costs.

Fully automatic, easy and stable operation, low failure rate.

Environmental protection and energy saving

FTM has long been the preferred supplier of customized rotary dryers for the mining industry. Our dryers are designed around the specific needs of customers. We also provide a comprehensive rotary dryer parts and service to keep optimum operation of rotary dryer. For more information about our rotary dryers or services, please contact us now!