Hydrometallurgical processing for nickel and cobalt ores, concentrates, tailings, wastes

Project completed in two stages by Future Battery Industries CRC which receives allocation of MRIWA funds.

The Challenge

Recovery of metal lost in conventional processing and accessing additional ores not currently economically treatable with traditional processes. This includes:

• Recovery of nickel and cobalt from float tails, low grade ores, slags.
• Developing methods for treating flotation concentrates to produce a more valuable nickel sulphate product for the battery industry.

Key Findings

Chelating and cation‑exchange resins remain the most effective metal‑recovery options, with a new ceramic filter showing strong cobalt‑capture potential. Kinetic and elution studies clarified uptake rates and optimal release conditions. Overall, results point to more selective, efficient and sustainable hydrometallurgical pathways that strengthen Australia’s value‑added critical‑minerals capability.

Benefits to WA

Economical alternative leach technologies for extraction of nickel and cobalt from waste streams has the potential to unlock upwards of $20 billion dollars’ worth of nickel and cobalt to the battery industry.

To do so would place Australia as an exporter of value-added products rather than raw materials.

Research Output DOI:

Hou, Y., Oraby, E., O’Malley, G. (2025). Extraction of Nickel and Cobalt from Secondary Cleaner Tailings Using Glycine Leaching Technology. In: Ni‐Co 2025, 6th International Symposium on Nickel and Cobalt. NICO 2025. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-00167-2_22  

Huan Li, Elsayed A. Oraby, Jacobus J. Eksteen, Application of nanofiltration for the recovery of nickel glycinates from alkaline glycine-based solutions using polyamide membranes: A technical note, Hydrometallurgy, Volume 228, 2024,106368, ISSN 0304-386X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2024.106368  

Elsayed Oraby, Zixian Deng, Huan Li, Jacques Eksteen, Selective extraction of nickel and cobalt from disseminated sulfide flotation cleaner tailings using alkaline glycine-ammonia leaching solutions, Minerals Engineering, Volume 204, 2023, 108418, ISSN 0892-6875, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108418  

Elsayed Oraby, Huan Li, Zixian Deng, Jacques Eksteen, Selective extraction of Ni and Co from a pyrrhotite-rich flotation slime using an alkaline glycine-based leach system, Minerals Engineering, Volume 203, 2023, 108330, ISSN 0892-6875, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108330