BRIN Researcher Discovers More Optimal Nickel Processing Technology
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Iwan Setiawan, a researcher at the Metallurgy Research Centre of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), has discovered a technological innovation for nickel ore processing that is more efficient, flexible, and produces minimal waste by optimising the comprehensive use of resources.
In a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, Iwan explained that this technology can utilise 9erb of waste material from nickel ore. This innovation has already resulted in approximately five patents related to the nickel processing methods developed by the BRIN Metallurgy Research Centre team.
“Nickel ore generally contains only about 1–2 per cent nickel. This means that more than 98 per cent of the other materials have the potential to become waste if not utilised. Therefore, any processing method must be able to optimise the utilisation of all components contained within the ore,” he said.
According to him, the innovation developed by BRIN has an advantage because it can process two types of nickel ore simultaneously, namely saprolite and limonite, within a single process approach. The technology is a modification of the Caron process, which has been adjusted to suit the current conditions of Indonesia’s nickel reserves.
“Nickel reserves are constantly changing, and ore quality is becoming increasingly diverse. Therefore, new technology is required that is more adaptive to the characteristics of the available ore,” he noted.
In addition to being able to process various types of ore, this technology is also designed to reduce energy consumption compared to conventional pyrometallurgical processes.
One of its primary advantages is the minimisation of waste through the utilisation of other elements that have not been optimally utilised until now.
In the process developed by BRIN, not only is nickel extracted, but also the iron and magnesium contained within the ore. Iron can be processed into value-added products such as Fe2O3 for pigments or as iron oxalate for battery raw materials, while magnesium is processed into compounds that can be used for various industrial needs.
He added that this approach aligns with the concepts of resource efficiency and the circular economy, which is currently the direction of mineral industry development in many countries.
“The principle is that no resources are wasted. Nickel, iron, and magnesium are all endeavoured to become products with economic value, so that waste can be minimised as much as possible,” said Iwan.
The development of this technology has been carried out at laboratory and semi-pilot scales. The research team has successfully conducted process testing in capacities ranging from tens to hundreds of kilograms to prove the technological feasibility.
Nevertheless, Iwan acknowledged that the next challenge is the construction of a larger-scale pilot plant to validate the technical and economic aspects before the technology can be implemented in the industrial sector.
“The results at the laboratory scale have been very good. The next stage is to increase the process scale through a pilot plant, so that its economic feasibility for industrial needs can be proven,” said Iwan Settingawa.