Nickel Recovery Optimization and Kinetic Study of Morowali Laterite Ore

Nickel plays a critical role in the mining industry. However, the presence of nickel in the primary source of sulfide minerals is decreasing. Focus has since turned to laterite ore, which contains up to 80% Ni metal. The purpose of this study was to optimize nickel leaching using sulfuric acid and conduct a kinetic analysis to discover the mechanism that best controls the leaching process. To optimize the operating conditions, the response surface method (RSM) with a Box–Behnken design was used. The shrinking core and Zhuravlev, Leshokin, and Templeman (ZLT) models were used to assess the kinetics of the nickel leaching process. Mineral characterization was also performed to gain a better understanding of the sample characteristics. At 2 M sulfuric acid concentration, 10% solid–liquid ratio, and 90 °C temperature, the highest observed Ni recovery was 87% and the apparent activation energy was 32.75 kJ/mol.