TY - JOUR
T1 - Nickel sulphide smelting and electrorefining practice
T2 - A review
AU - Moskalyk, R. R.
AU - Alfantazi, A. M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The recovered gold, silver, and platinum group concentrates are flown from Norilsk to the precious metals refinery at Krasnoyarsk (Engineering & Mining Journal 1998). The Krasnoyarsk facility is located with access to the Trans-Siberian Railway and produces platinum and palladium ingots plus valuable powders (Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir). PGMs are marketed by means of NYMEX trading in London (UK). The nickel smelters and refineries adjacent to the City of Norilsk ship Bessemer matte containing Ni-Cu to the Severonikel (SN) subsidiary located at Monchegorsk in western Russia. Untreated ore from the numerous Norilsk minesites is transported by sea to the Pechenganikel (PN) subsidiary and the Severonikel combine. Pechenganikel was owned by Inco before the Second World War and was rebuilt during 1946 (Nickel in the CIS 1998). In September 2001, the Russian and Norwegian governments signed an agreement to support investment for the reduction of pollution at the Pechenganikel mining complex near the border with Norway. The project will install technology to cut emissions and capture sulphuric gases from the plant. The $100 million project is to be financed by a $30 million grant from Norway's government and a $30 million loan over 10 years at a rate of 9.35% from the Nordic Investment Bank; $40 million will come from a direct investment by Pechenganikel (E &MJ 2001). The joint arrangement was suspended about 5 years ago, after Norilsk failed to provide its share of the costs. Russian metallurgical operations differ at various locations (Volkov and Filippov 1996). The parent company has been investigating a long-term modernization program to both upgrade facilities in situ and address environmental issues (Nickel in the CIS 1998). Ongoing studies involve improvements in hydrometallurgy and infrastructure for the low capacity utilization of the Kombinats located in the Kola Peninsula area (MMPD 1998).
PY - 2002/7
Y1 - 2002/7
N2 - Nickel in the form of cathodes, rounds, powders, and salts is well recognized as a useful commodity in domestic industries and/or export. It is shipped as concentrates, mixed sulphides, and ferronickel. Today, there are only a limited number of major and minor producers of this important metal, which is employed worldwide in a multitude of commercial and residential applications. Traditionally, nickel and associated metal values are recovered from ore feedstock by proven mineral processing, smelting, and refining processes. Typical host minerals contain other base metals, such as copper, cobalt, and noble metals consisting of gold, silver, and OPMs (other precious metals). Although sulphide-bearing ores such as those found in Canada and Russia will likely serve as a long-term source of this nonferrous material, the future trend is expected to involve laterite processing, which represents about 70% of the world's known nickel resources. The authors are aware of seven nickel refineries (ie, electrorefining) on a global basis dedicated to the production of class I primary nickel products. The supply and demand of pure and high-grade nickel products during the past decade has been erratic and subject to wide fluctuations in delivered price. This article describes the established industrial processes for recovery of nickel originating from sulphidic sources. Details of smelting and refining practice are provided for the three largest nickel producers. For completeness, other extraction processes involving a mixed sulphide, pellets from the carbonyl process, nickel powders, and briquettes are noted in the compendium of nickel processing practice, which includes pyrometallurgical principles. This paper lists the 47 pyrometallurgical operations worldwide which are mainly dedicated to the production of class II nickel products (nickel oxide products and utility nickel), nickel matte, and granules. The theme of the nickel biography is to provide a full extractive metallurgy synopsis rather than the reader reviewing numerous authors.
AB - Nickel in the form of cathodes, rounds, powders, and salts is well recognized as a useful commodity in domestic industries and/or export. It is shipped as concentrates, mixed sulphides, and ferronickel. Today, there are only a limited number of major and minor producers of this important metal, which is employed worldwide in a multitude of commercial and residential applications. Traditionally, nickel and associated metal values are recovered from ore feedstock by proven mineral processing, smelting, and refining processes. Typical host minerals contain other base metals, such as copper, cobalt, and noble metals consisting of gold, silver, and OPMs (other precious metals). Although sulphide-bearing ores such as those found in Canada and Russia will likely serve as a long-term source of this nonferrous material, the future trend is expected to involve laterite processing, which represents about 70% of the world's known nickel resources. The authors are aware of seven nickel refineries (ie, electrorefining) on a global basis dedicated to the production of class I primary nickel products. The supply and demand of pure and high-grade nickel products during the past decade has been erratic and subject to wide fluctuations in delivered price. This article describes the established industrial processes for recovery of nickel originating from sulphidic sources. Details of smelting and refining practice are provided for the three largest nickel producers. For completeness, other extraction processes involving a mixed sulphide, pellets from the carbonyl process, nickel powders, and briquettes are noted in the compendium of nickel processing practice, which includes pyrometallurgical principles. This paper lists the 47 pyrometallurgical operations worldwide which are mainly dedicated to the production of class II nickel products (nickel oxide products and utility nickel), nickel matte, and granules. The theme of the nickel biography is to provide a full extractive metallurgy synopsis rather than the reader reviewing numerous authors.
KW - Electrolytic
KW - Extractive metallurg
KW - Nickel
KW - Pyrometallurgy
KW - Sulphides
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0036665107
U2 - 10.1080/08827500306893
DO - 10.1080/08827500306893
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:0036665107
SN - 0882-7508
VL - 23
SP - 141
EP - 180
JO - Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review
JF - Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review
IS - 3-4
ER -