Coconut Shell Charcoal as a Bioreductor in Roasting Process of Nickel Laterite from Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi: Performance and Kinetics Study

Abstract

In facing the scarcity of sulfide nickel ore, processing nickel laterite to form nickel pig iron becomes an important issue. Also, Indonesia inherits 10% of nickel laterite in the world, assigning as the third biggest country of nickel laterite possession in the world. Nickel pig iron is one of nickel products involving massive high-grade metallurgical coke consumption that is commonly being used as stainless steels. Consequently, high amount of carbon dioxide is also produced in this process. And so, substituting of the coke using bioreductor material – in this study, Coconut Shell Charcoal – is important. The study is done by conducting several variables. The reductors used were Coconut Shell Charcoal and Anthracite Coal. The process was conducted in 800°C and 1000°C, in a muffle furnace, and between 15 to 240 minutes of reduction time. Results from all reductors show that higher temperature indicates a better reduction process. Moreover, X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis data shows that there is no significant difference in the final product between two reductors. By replacing metallurgical coke using bioreductor, the carbon emission in the process can be reduced. Hence, providing a better process and environment to the next generation.

Investigation on Saprolitic Laterite Ore Reduction Process using Palm Kernel Shell Charcoal: Kinetics and Phase Transformation

“…It is found that magnetite, olivine, hematite, and quartz are present in the XRD result. In addition, magnetite peaks intensify at higher temperatures and longer reduction time (Putera et al, 2017). In this research, the phase transformation of biomassbased reductant sample (S-PKS-a) in the roasting process of 1000°C is shown in Figure 8 below.…”

“…The phase transformation of the sample with anthracite reductant has been studied by Putera et al (2017). It is found that magnetite, olivine, hematite, and quartz are present in the XRD result.…”

“…It proves that the biomass-based charcoal could be a good substitute the conventional coal in the roasting process of nickel laterite. Both studies yield magnetite (Fe3O4) with identical kinetics parameters, leading to the conventional coal, leading to a good step for the biomass-based charcoal to substitute the conventional coal (Petrus et al, 2017;Putera et al, 2017).…”

Replacing Fossil Carbon in the Production of Ferroalloys with a Focus on Bio-Based Carbon: A Review

“…Further research proposed the utilization of palm kernel shell charcoal as a partial substitute in nickel rotary kilns [59], rice husks as a reducing agent for limonite ore [46], lamtoro charcoal [57,71,104], palm kernel shells [47,[105][106][107], palm kernel shell charcoal [62,108] or coconut shell charcoal [57,63,109] as a reducing agent for laterite ores.…”

A Comparison Study of Nickel Laterite Reduction using Coal and Coconut Shell Charcoal: A FactSage Simulation

“…The latest research concerning the phase transformation and kinetics study uses coconut shell and lamtoro charcoal as reductants and proves that biomass-based charcoal could be a good substitute for conventional coal in the roasting process of nickel laterite. Both studies yield magnetite (Fe3O4) with identical kinetics parameters to conventional coal, leading to a good step for biomass-based charcoal to substitute conventional coal (Petrus et al, 2017;Putera et al, 2017). It has been widely known that carbothermic reduction of nickel laterite ore for nickel pig iron production is an exceptionally dirty process as it requires a vast energy and emits huge amounts of carbon to the atmosphere.…”