High pressure acid leaching (HPAL) has been used for the extraction of basic metals, the latest developments being found for the nickel lateritic ores in Australia and South East Asia. This process involves autoclave leaching of minerals, solvent extraction and electrolytic recovery. The process conditions have become increasingly demanding, both in temperature and pressure. Sulfuric acid is the basic leaching medium and these operating conditions have pushed the operating envelope for some of the more traditional materials, resulting in the use of more exotic titanium, Titanium-Niobium 45, and tantalum alloys. This paper will review material selection.

Subject
Acids, Materials, Stainless alloys, Acid concentration, Materials performance, Sulfuric acid, Nickel based alloys, Molybdenum alloys, Autoclaves, Leaching, Corrosion resistance, Nickel, Titanium alloys
Keywords:
Sulfuric acid, lateritic ores, sulfide ores, duplex stainless steel, titanium, refractory alloys, autoclaves, solvent extraction, pyrophoricity
© 2001 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2001
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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