Barro Alto ferronickel plant
Goiás, Brazil (Central-West ultramafic complexes), Brazil
Mine tailings and waste rock
- Type
- Mine tailings and waste rock
Rotary-kiln calcination near 900 °C (fly ash), electric-furnace reduction at 1600 °C (ferronickel and reduction slag), refining (white and black slags). Heavy nickel stays in the slag, ferronickel keeps the feed composition; fly ash is not fractionated either. Fly ash recycled into the kiln since the new plant. Indicative coordinates.
δ60Ni in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 986
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 ± 0.12 ‰ | 1 | fly ash (settling ponds and electrostatic filter) F10, electrostatic filter. | Ratié et al. (2016), Nickel isotope fractionation during laterite Ni ore smelting and ref… | |
| 0.18 ± 0.04 ‰ | 0.14 / 0.22 ‰ | 3 | reduction slag (electric furnace) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 3 values. SS6 to SS8, recent. | Ratié et al. (2016), Nickel isotope fractionation during laterite Ni ore smelting and ref… |
| 0.09 ± 0.08 ‰ | 0.03 / 0.14 ‰ | 2 | refining slags Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 values. White (WRS, +0.14 ‰) and black (BRS, +0.03 ‰) refining slags. | Ratié et al. (2016), Nickel isotope fractionation during laterite Ni ore smelting and ref… |
| 0.07 ± 0.06 ‰ | 1 | ferronickel FeNi2, 31 % Ni. | Ratié et al. (2016), Nickel isotope fractionation during laterite Ni ore smelting and ref… |
Deposits of the same type
- Niquelândia ferronickel plant (Codemin) Brazil
- Vinto smelter slag Bolivia
- San José mine waste Bolivia
- Antamina experimental waste rock drainage Peru
- Hourcade metallurgical site slags France
- Viviez plant metallurgical tailings (Dunet and Igue de Mas heaps) France
- Black Angel mine tailings (Affarlikassaa fjord) Greenland
- Nikel smelter (Zapolyarny concentrate and slag) Russia
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Barro Alto ferronickel plant, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/usine-de-ferronickel-de-barro-alto/ (accessed 2026-10-13).
@misc{isofind2026barroaltoferronickelplantisot,
title = {Barro Alto ferronickel plant, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/usine-de-ferronickel-de-barro-alto/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13}
}Updated : 2026-10-13