The influence of palm kernel shell mass ratio as a reducing agent in the lateritic nickel ore carbothermic reduction process

Indonesia has many valuable mineral resources, such as lateritic nickel ore. Today, the world demand of lateritic nickel continues to increase. This is an opportunity for Indonesia to develop its potentials in the nickel processing industry. To perform nickel reduction process, reducing agents such as natural gas and coal are needed. In this study, the use of a reductant from palm kernel shell waste as a coal alternative energy in order to reduce the use of fossil fuel which limited availability and cause environmental pollution, being a focus of this research. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of palm kernel shell as a reductant in lateritic nickel reduction process, using mass ratio variable between mass of nickel ore and reductant. The mass ratio between nickel ore and reducing agent used in this study are 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4, with the temperature of reduction in 800 degrees C for 60 minutes. To observe the results of this experiment, the sample characterization was carried out using XRD and XRF. XRD data showed the presence of silica (SiO2), iron oxide compounds such as maghemite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4), also compounds from reduction of lizardite such as forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and liebenbergite (Ni2SiO4). The results of XRF analysis showed improvement of Ni recovery in line with the addition of the mass of reducing agents.