Polar Division of MMC “Norilsk Nikel”, Norilsk, Russia:

N. N. Bukalo, Chief Mechanical Engineer of Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant
L. Yu. Brusnichkina-Kirillova, Leading Processing Engineer (Center of Engineering Maintenance of Production)
R. Yu. Sharkiy, Head of Elemental Sulfur Production Shop (Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant), e-mail: sharkiyryu@nk.nornik.ru

EKATO Russia GmbH, Moscow, Russia:
A. M. Shifrin, Head of a Service

The paper describes the industrial testing of 4 agitators manufactured by EKATO (Germany) and installed inside autoclave No. 2 of the autoclave department involved in pressure oxidative leaching of phyrrotite concentrate at hydrometallurgical line of Nadezhda Plant named after B. I. Kolesnikov. The comparative analysis of autoclave department performance using standard and experiment agitators showed that the technical parameters are similar for base and testing periods. The capacity of autoclave train No. 1 during testing is averaged by 2–3 t/h higher than that of standard performance, oxygen utilization ratio in the autoclave department when testing was negligibly low (by 4.0% abs.) in comparison to the normal performance. The basic technological parameters of the first (tested) and the second (parallel working) leaching trains were similar as well. Sulfur transition into the elemental form was 65.6 and 67.1%, phyrrotite decomposition averaged about 86.7 and 89.9% respectively. Based on testing results it was established that EKATO autoclave agitators could potentially substitute more expensive and metal-consuming agitators manufactured by “Uralkhimmash” and currently used at hydrometallurgical line of Nadezhda Plant without deterioration of technological characteristics of leaching process. Experimental models are testing during their service life in the industrial environment of elemental sulfur production at Nadezhda Plant.

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