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Abstract

A method of treating a metalliferrous material source is provided. The metalliferrous material source includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, and also includes iron sulphide. The metalliferrous material source is leached with a preliminary leachant in a leaching zone to effect production of a preliminary leach product including a preliminary leach solution and a preliminary leach solid residue. The preliminary leachant includes an aqueous solution comprising ammonia and ammonium sulphate. The preliminary leach solution includes at least one of dissolved nickel comprising material and dissolved cobalt comprising material. The preliminary leach solid residue includes: (i) at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, (ii) at least one of other nickel comprising material and other cobalt comprising material, and (iii) other iron comprising material. At least a fraction of the preliminary leach solid residue is separated from the preliminary leach product such that a metalliferrous material is provided, wherein the metalliferrous material includes at least a fraction of the separated preliminary leach solid residue. At least a fraction of the metalliferrous material is leached with an aqueous solution including dissolved sulphuric acid and dissolved sulphur dioxide in a leaching zone so as to effect production of an operative leach product including a leachate component and a solid residue component, wherein the leachate component includes nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate, and iron sulphate, and wherein the solid residue component includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide. At least a fraction of the solid residue component is separated from the operative leach product to provide a recovered solid residue component. The recovered solid residue component is recycled to the preliminary leaching zone.

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First Claim