Cobalt
ANZAPLAN is well equipped to develop flowsheet and process design following different processing routes for cobalt bearing minerals including those containing arsenic such as cobaltite and skutterudite. Evaluation of numerous processing routes for the conversion of cobalt minerals to battery grade cobalt sulfate or hydroxide can be performed at various scales. Specific processing unit operations include comminution, sensor-based sorting, flotation, dry or wet magnetic separation, roasting, atmospheric leaching, pressure leaching, solvent extraction (SX), precipitation and crystallization.
ANZAPLAN’s hydrometallurgical facilities can handle cobalt mineral samples with high arsenic content by using e.g. pressure oxide leach.
Services
Main analytical services for cobalt include:
- Identification of trace elements by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) using matrix adjusted calibration
- Identification of ionic species by ion chromatography (IC)
- Identification of main elements by X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
- Identification and quantification (Rietveld refinement) of cobalt mineral phases by X-ray diffraction (XRD)
- Particle size distribution (PSD)
- Mineral liberation analysis (MLA)
- Determination of specific surface area (BET)
- Optical analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Physical processing will include the development of a flowsheet targeting the concentration of cobalt bearing minerals.
Main physical processing steps applied:
- Crushing, grinding and classification of ROM
- Sensor based sorting (SBS)
- Heavy liquid separation (HLS)
- Attrition scrubbing and desliming
- Magnetic separation
- Flotation
Hydrometallurgical processing will include the development of a flowsheet targeting e.g. battery grade cobalt sulfate/hydroxide.
Main hydrometallurgical processing steps applied:
- Roasting
- Leaching (e.g. pressure oxidation leach, pressure acid leach)
- Purification (e.g. ion exchange)
- Solvent extraction (SX)
- Precipitation
- Crystallization
Advanced processing services include:
- Flowsheet optimization
- Locked cycle tests (LCT)
- Variability testing
Physical processing will include the concentration of cobalt bearing minerals at pilot scale.
Main physical processing steps applied:
- Crushing, grinding and classification of ROM
- Sensor based sorting (SBS)
- Dense media separation (DMS)
- Attrition scrubbing and desliming
- Magnetic separation
- Flotation
Hydrometallurgical processing will include the production of e.g. battery grade cobalt sulfate/hydroxide at pilot scale.
Main hydrometallurgical processing steps applied:
- Roasting
- Leaching (e.g. pressure oxidation leach, pressure acid leach)
- Purification (e.g. ion exchange)
- Solvent extraction (SX)
- Precipitation
- Crystallization
Engineering services typically include:
- Process design and flowsheet development
- Mass balance, energy and chemicals requirements
- Confirmation of flowsheet through pilot plant testing program
- Capital and operating cost estimates (CAPEX/OPEX)
- Economic assessments including potential by-product scenarios.
- Scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
- Process plant revamping and plant audits
- Optimization and trade-off studies
- Waste management
The ANZAPLAN team offers independent review of technical studies including:
- Preliminary economic assessment, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
- Design verification at various scale
- Pilot Plant design
- Troubleshooting
- Geometallurgical report
- Periodic operation monitoring
ANZAPLAN provides consulting and test work services for seamless development in specialty mineral and metal projects from grassroots exploration through to feasibility studies:
- Exploration program advice
- Site visits
- Mineral resource/reserve estimation
- Verification of drilling and QA/QC protocols
- Audit and review
- Mine planning
- Preparation of technical report based on international codes e.g. JORC, NI 43-101
- Project valuation and studies (PEA, PFS and FS Level)
- Independent Engineer