Nickel ore is an abundant metal ore with extensive applications in deep processing, commonly used in metal beneficiation, refining nickel-iron alloys, and stainless steel production. The following will introduce the crushing process and production line configuration in nickel ore beneficiation.

More information on nickel ore crushing:

I. Nickel Ore Crushing Process

The nickel ore crushing process mainly includes two stages: crushing and screening. The specific process is as follows:

Primary crushing: The raw ore is fed into a jaw crusher via a feeder for coarse crushing.

Secondary crushing: The coarsely crushed material is transported to a cone crusher for medium and fine crushing.

Screening: The medium and finely crushed material is screened by screening equipment. Material with a particle size below 20mm is sent to the finished product pile, while material exceeding 20mm is returned to the cone crusher for further crushing.

II. Nickel Ore Crushing Equipment Models and Parameters

The main equipment used in the nickel ore crushing process includes jaw crushers and cone crushers.

Jaw crusher (e.g., C6X80): Used for primary crushing, it has the advantages of strong processing capacity and high crushing efficiency.

Cone crusher (e.g., HST160 single-cylinder hydraulic cone crusher): Used for medium and fine crushing, it possesses efficient and stable crushing performance.

III. 200-ton/hour Nickel Ore Crushing Production Line Configuration

The following is an example of a 200-ton/hour nickel ore crushing production line configuration:

Processed material: Nickel ore

Output: 200 tons/hour

Feed size: 0-700mm

Output size: 0-20mm

Equipment configuration:

C6X80 jaw crusher

HST160 single-cylinder hydraulic cone crusher

The crushed nickel ore has a particle size of 10-30mm, which can be used as a base layer material for the sintering machine, helping to improve the production efficiency of the sintering machine and reduce energy consumption. For particle sizes of 0-10mm, it can be added to the sintering mixture through the sintering bin to adjust the R2, MgO, and Ni/Fe components of the sintered ore. Although there are different viewpoints, using nickel ore powder to adjust these components helps to improve the grade of the sintered ore. It is important to note that laterite nickel ore is typically imported from the Philippines or Indonesia, and the ore has a high moisture content during transportation and storage. In the summer, to meet the production process requirements, it is usually necessary to increase the amount of lime used for dewatering, but this will increase the CaO content in the ore powder. To balance the CaO content of the sintered ore, high-SiO2 content nickel ore crushed powder needs to be added.

Using nickel ore powder instead of dolomite powder or light-burned magnesite powder is one of the effective ways to reduce the production cost of sintered ore. For manufacturers using rotary kiln drying technology, although there is no need to worry about the dewatering of the ore powder, attention should still be paid to the potential changes in the binding phase and decreased strength caused by the imbalance of the magnesium-aluminum ratio in the sintered ore. Therefore, the requirements for ore selection and blending are higher.

Summary

The nickel ore crushing process and its production line configuration play a crucial role in metal beneficiation. A reasonable crushing and screening process and equipment configuration can improve production efficiency and product quality while reducing production costs.