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Extractive metallurgy of nickel

Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich

Nickel occurs in ores of two general types:

  • nickel-iron sulfides,
  • hydrous nickel silicate (laterite).

Both of them typically contain 1-3% of nickel.

Extraction of nickel from sulfide ores

Extraction of nickel from sulfide oresis carried out by the following process:

  • Crushing and grinding the ore in order to free the gangue from the nickel sulfide mineral.
  • Concentrating – separation of the nickel sulfide mineral from the gangue.

This operation is conducted in a flotation chamber where the ground ore mixed with water is treated by air bubbles which move upward and cause flotation of the mineral particles to the top of the chamber.

  • Smelting or roasting with partial converting sulfides to oxide form.
  • Matte smelting.

At this stage the concentrate is smelted in the Bessemer converter to produce a mixture of nickel, copper and other metals called matte.

The gangue is absorbed by the slag and removed.

  • Electrolytic or chemical refining of nickel.

Extraction of nickel from the laterite ores

Extraction of nickel from the laterite ores is carried out by either pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical process:

  • Hydrometallurgical process involves ammoniacal or sulfuric acid leaching followed by nickel precipitatation.
  • In the pyrometallurgical process the ore is dried and calcined in a rotary kiln and then smelted in an electric furnace with addition of carbon. The resulted nickel-iron matte may be either further refined or used as desired product (in this case sulfur in form of gypsum or elemental sulfur is added to the kiln).

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extractive_metallurgy_of_nickel.txt · Last modified: 2023/12/13 by dmitri_kopeliovich
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