Non-ferrous metal recovery from deep sea nodules

A process for recovering at least one non-ferrous metal value selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper or molybdenum, which non-ferrous metal value is present as an oxide, from a manganiferous oxide material which process comprises selectively reducing said non-ferrous metal values at a temperature of at least about 750.degree. C. but below about 1100.degree. C. in an atmosphere reducing to oxides of the non-ferrous metal values but substantially nonreducing to manganous oxide to reduce a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values to the metallic state and a preponderant part of the manganese to manganous oxide and only minor amounts to the metallic manganese state, smelting the selectively reduced manganiferous oxide material to produce a first molten alloy containing a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values and a first manganese-containing slag, separating the first molten alloy from the first manganese-containing slag, blowing the separated first molten alloy with a free-oxygen-containing gas to oxidize and slag most of the manganese contained in the first molten alloy and to form a second molten alloy further depleted in manganese and a second manganese-containing slag, separating the second molten alloy from the second manganese-containing slag, sulfiding the second molten alloy to produce a matte, and then blowing the matte said matte containing iron values in the molten condition with a free-oxygen-containing gas to slag iron.

A process for recovering from sea nodules at least one non-ferrous metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper and molybdenum, said sea nodules being an oxidic material containing a major amount of manganese and iron and at least one of said non-ferrous metal values;

• comprising selectively reducing the sea nodules at a temperature of at least about 750.degree. C. to below about 1100.degree. C. in an atmosphere reducing to oxides of non-ferrous metal values but substantially not reducing to manganous oxide to reduce a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values to the metallic state and a preponderant part of the manganese values having an oxidation state greater than plus 2 to manganous oxide, smelting the selectively reduced material at a temperature of from about 1250.degree. to about 1600.degree. C. to form a first molten alloy containing a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values and a first manganese-containing slag, separating the first molten alloy from the first manganese-containing slag, blowing the separated first molten alloy with a free-oxygen-containing gas to oxidize manganese in the molten alloy and produce a second molten alloy and a second manganese-containing slag, separating said second manganese-containing slag from the second molten alloy to produce a second molten non-ferrous metal-containing alloy further depleted in manganese.

A process for recovering from sea nodules at least one non-ferrous metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper and molybdenum, said sea nodules being an oxidic material containing a major amount of manganese and iron and at least one of said non-ferrous metal values;

• comprising selectively reducing the sea nodules at a temperature of at least about 750.degree. C. to below about 1100.degree. C. in an atmosphere reducing to oxides of non-ferrous metal values but substantially non-reducing to manganous oxide to reduce a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values to the metallic state and a preponderant part of the manganese values to manganous oxide, smelting the selectively reduced material at a temperature of from about 1250.degree. to about 1600.degree. C. to form a first molten alloy containing a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values and a first manganese-containing slag, separating the first molten alloy from the first manganese-containing slag, blowing the separated first molten alloy with a free-oxygen-containing gas to oxidize and slag manganese contained in the first molten alloy and to form a second molten alloy further depleted in manganese and a second manganese-containing slag separating said second manganese-containing slag from the second molten alloy, sulfiding said second molten alloy to produce a matte, said matte containing iron values, and blowing the matte in the molten condition with a free-oxygen-containing gas to slag iron.

A process for recovering from sea nodules at least one non-ferrous metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper and molybdenum, said sea nodules being an oxidic material containing a major amount of manganese and iron and at least one of said non-ferrous metal values comprising treating the sea nodules at a temperature of at least about 750.degree. C. to below about 1100.degree. C. to reduce selectively a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values to the metallic state and only minor amounts of manganese values to the metallic state, smelting the selectively reduced material at a temperature of from about 1250.degree. to about 1600.degree. C. to form a first molten alloy containing a preponderant part of the non-ferrous metal values and a first manganese-containing slag, separating and removing the first molten alloy from the first manganese-containing slag, blowing the separated first molten alloy with a free-oxygen-containing gas to oxidize and slag manganese contained in the first molten alloy and to form a second molten alloy further depleted in manganese and a second manganese-containing slag, separating and removing the second manganese-containing slag from the second molten alloy sulfiding said second molten alloy to produce a matte, said matte containing iron values, and blowing the matte in the molten condition with a free-oxygen-containing gas to slag iron.