Nickel agromining for ANSH production
Résumé
This contribution is an overview of the results we have obtained for several years in our Ni phytomining research. Crops of the Ni-hyperaccumulator plant, Alyssum murale are being grown in the Balkans (Albania) and high Ni yields have been achieved - 100 kg Ni per ha. Once harvested and dried, A. murale biomass is incinerated and the ashes are treated by a hydrometallurgical process that we have designed and patented to produce a high value added salt, sulphate and ammonium nickel double salt hexahydrate, which is used for electrolytic surface treatment. The process steps are described and the main results presented. We have demonstrated the feasibility of the synthesis of this nickel double salt after phytoextraction. This process is currently being up-scaled to the pilot scale. A start-up project has been launched to develop this activity with two directions, the production of Ni salt and consulting activity for phytoextraction.