The Kell process for extraction of PGMs and base metals

I first heard of the Kell process in June 2010 at the Precious Metals ’10 conference in Falmouth, where Mike Adams of Mutis Liber, Australia, presented a paper on the hydrometallurgical processing of Platreef flotation concentrate. He suggested that the hydrometallurgical flowsheet that could provide a viable process for treating Platreef concentrate is the Kell Process, which broadly comprises the selective leaching of base metals by pressure oxidation, followed by the leaching of PGMs after a roasting pretreatment step.

Now this process has been described and evaluated in detail in a paper by Keith Liddell and Mike Adams (see MEI Online for full details).

Hopefully we will hear much more of this in November at the next Precious Metals conference. Mike is the MEI consultant to this event and Keith will be presenting a keynote lecture on the processing of South African platinum ores.