Choi et al. (2026): Acid leaching process of an ultramafic mine tailing for indirect CO₂ mineralization
Kyoung Hun Choi, Spencer Cunningham, Hamid Radfarnia, Kourosh Zanganeh & Gisele Azimi, IN: Scientific Reports, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-35873-z
The extraction of divalent metals from ultramafic mine tailings for indirect CO₂ mineralization is a promising strategy for large-scale carbon sequestration. This study investigates the acid leaching process of an ultramafic nickel tailing, rich in magnesium silicates, using two different acids: hydrochloric acid and citric acid. The aim was to evaluate the leaching efficiency of key metals, including magnesium, calcium, and iron, under varying operational conditions. These conditions included acid concentration (0.5 to 2 mol/L), solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio (0.01 to 0.5 g/mL), temperature (25 to 65 °C), and multi-stage leaching.