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 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 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 iron
• Extractive metallurgy of aluminum
• Extractive metallurgy of copper
• Extractive metallurgy of magnesium
• Extractive metallurgy of titanium

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