PENGARUH WAKTU REDUKSI DAN KOMPOSISI PELET TERHADAP PERSEN Fe METAL DAN PERSEN Ni FeNi SPONS DARI BIJIH NIKEL LIMONIT MENGGUNAKAN SIMULATOR ROTARY KILN [The Influence Of Reduction Time And Pellet Composition On Fe And Ni Metal Percentage Of Feni Sponge From Limonite Ore Reduced By Using Rotary Kiln Simulator]

Abstract

Indonesia has abundant nickel ore reserves, about 15.70% of the world's nickel reserve or equal to 1576 million metric tons, but mostly low grade laterite nickel ore (limonite) has not been put to good use. Limonite ore can be used in the steel-making process through the reduction process to sponsge FeNi. Quality of sponge FeNi is influenced by several factors among which the composition of pellets and time reduction. The composition of the pellets were used in this study is the ratio of nickel limonite ore and coal at 90:10, 85:15 and 80: 20%. Reduction process used a rotary kiln simulator in Metallurgy and Material Research Center - LIPI Serpong with temperature 1000°C and the time reduction are 30, 45 and 60 minutes. Pellets of reduction results or sponsge FeNi performed using medium cooling water to minimize oxidation due to oxygen which are in free air. Furthermore, sponsge FeNi is characterized to determine the effect of the variables used. The characterization was conducted on the test Fe metal, chemical composition analysis using XRD and SEM EDS. Based on the results obtained, changes in percent Fe metal does not fit the theory. Percentage of Fe metal decreases as the composition of coal and reduction of time used, but the percentage of Ni increases with time reduction. The highest percentageof Fe metal pellets obtained on the composition of 90: 10% with a reduction of 30 minutes is 2.97%, while the highest percentage Ni obtained by a reduction of 60 minutes is 6.87%.