by Malcolm Kukura

 Presented at ALTA Nickel Cobalt Conference, Perth, Australia

ABSTRACT New Economy applications of nickel and cobalt for batteries and turbine blades are creating new markets and demand pressure requiring extraction processes less dependant on petroleum energy, utilizing energy more efficiently, applying deeper extension of automation to minimize human inputs and minimizing capital costs via compact reactor designs. For the open society model to prevail as it did during the cold war period, it‘s essential that process engineers develop new approaches to keep costs down and enable global deployment of electrification, transportation and telecommunications technologies needed to sustain and nurture the open society model and it’s free enterprise economic foundation.

Cobalt expertise includes:

þ oxygen and air pressure leaching

þ solvent extraction and electrowinning

þ cobalt solution purification (precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange)

þ metal recovery -cobalt metal production as metal powders and briquettes

We are also expert in ammonia / ammonium carbonate leaching as applied at:

• Nicaro, Cuba cobalt plant

• Calumet and Hecla (upper peninsular of Michigan) for copper extraction from native copper ores

• Burra, Australia

AND other possesses at

• Fredricktown Missouri (National Lead

• Moa Bay Cuba (Freeport)

• Port Nickel, Louisiana (Freeport and Amax Nickel)

• Calera Mining Company, Garfield Utah refinery, the first facility to use high pressure oxidizing leaching of sulphide concentrates

TRU is a leader in the field of integral design of cobalt extraction facilities to provide ultra high quality cobalt containing products for advanced materials applications (such as high tech battery electrode materials, magnets and heat resistant alloys) and at the forefront in development of strategies for processing both conventional and non-conventional mineral and secondary sources of cobaltiferous resources.

. . . consult TRU on your cobalt project