Arsenic removal from nickel matte
AssigneeThe International Nickel Company, Inc.
InventorsMalcolm Charles Evert Bell, Ramamritham Sridhar
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Abstract
Nickel matte containing at least about 28% sulfur is refined with respect to arsenic, antimony or bismuth by contacting molten matte with gaseous chlorine to chlorinate and volatilize arsenic, antimony or bismuth from the nickel matte. Advantageously, the molten nickel matte is provided with a halide flux to minimize volatilization of any nickel chloride that is formed.
Claims20
A process for refining nickel matte which comprises establishing a molten bath of nickel matte containing at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, and tellurium and at least about 28% sulfur and contacting the nickel matte with gaseous chlorine which reacts with the impurity to form a chloride that is volatilized from the nickel matte, thereby separating said impurity from the matte.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.