Apparatus and process for making high purity nickel
AssigneeCVMR Corporation
InventorsWalter Curlook, Dimitri S. Terekhov, Sergiy Kotvun, Olujide Babatunde Olurin, Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel
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Abstract
An improved method of reducing a mixed metal oxide composition comprising oxides of nickel, cobalt, copper and iron in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce a mixture of the respective metals, the improvement wherein the atmosphere further comprises water vapor at a concentration, temperature and time to effect selective reduction of the oxides of nickel cobalt and copper relative to the iron oxide to produce the metallic mixture having a reduced ratio of metallic iron relative to metallic nickel, cobalt and copper.
Claims22
A method of recovering metals, comprising:
- reducing a mixed metal oxide composition comprising oxides of nickel, cobalt, copper and iron in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce a mixture of the respective metals, wherein said atmosphere further comprises water vapour at a concentration, temperature and time to effect selective reduction of said oxides of nickel cobalt and copper relative to said iron oxide to produce said metallic mixture having a reduced ratio of metallic iron relative to metallic nickel, cobalt and copper as compared to that in the mixed metal oxide composition;
- effecting sulphidization of metals within said metallic mixture for effecting production of a post-sulphidization material;
- and
- contacting the post-sulphidization material with carbon monoxide, wherein said hydrogen atmosphere during the reducing comprises 10-50% v/v water.
A method of recovering metals, comprising:
- reducing a mixed metal oxide composition comprising oxides of nickel, cobalt, copper and iron in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce a mixture of the respective metals, wherein said atmosphere further comprises water vapour at a concentration, temperature and time to effect selective reduction of said oxides of nickel cobalt and copper relative to said iron oxide to produce said metallic mixture having a reduced ratio of metallic iron relative to metallic nickel, cobalt and copper as compared to that in the mixed metal oxide composition;
- effecting sulphidization of metals within said metallic mixture for effecting production of a post-sulphidization material;
- and
- contacting the post-sulphidization material with carbon monoxide, wherein said hydrogen atmosphere during the reducing comprises 25-35% v/v water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.