# US 9,752,210 B2 · Method for smelting nickel oxide ore and method for charging pellets

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- Number: US 9,752,210 B2
- Document ID: US9752210B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/326,140
- Filed: 2015-06-30
- Published: 2017-07-13
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-07-25
- Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Junichi Takahashi; Taku Inoue; Shuuji Okada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752210B2

## CPC

- C22B 23/021: {by reduction in solid state, e.g. by segregation processes}
- C22B 1/2406: {pelletizing}
- C22B 5/02: Dry methods {smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes}
- C22B 5/04: by aluminium, other metals or silicon
- C22B 5/10: by solid carbonaceous reducing agents
- C22B 23/005: {Preliminary treatment of ores, e.g. by roasting or by the Krupp-Renn process}
- C22B 23/02: by dry processes
- C22B 23/023: {with formation of ferro-nickel or ferro-cobalt}
- C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS

## Abstract

A method for smelting a nickel oxide ore, wherein the reduction step progresses effectively while maintaining the strength of the pellets, comprises: a pellet production step S1 for producing pellets from a nickel oxide ore; and a reduction step S2 for reducing and heating the obtained pellets in a smelting furnace at a predetermined reduction temperature. In the pellet production step S1, a mixture is formed by mixing materials including said nickel oxide ore without mixing a carbonaceous reducing agent, and the pellets are formed by agglomerating said mixture. In the reduction step S2, in charging the obtained pellets into the smelting furnace, a carbonaceous reducing agent is spread in advance over the furnace floor of the smelting furnace and the pellets are placed on the carbonaceous reducing agent, and the pellets are reduced and heated in a state where the pellets are covered by the carbonaceous reducing agent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for charging pellets for smelting by forming pellets from nickel oxide ore, and reducing and heating the pellets with a smelting furnace, the method comprising:
a pellet production step of producing pellets from the nickel oxide ore; and
a pellet charging step of charging the pellets obtained into a smelting furnace for reducing and heating,
wherein the pellet production step forms pellets by making a mixture by mixing raw materials including the nickel oxide ore without mixing in a carbonaceous reducing agent, and then agglomerating the mixture, and
wherein the pellet charging step establishes the pellets in a state by spreading carbonaceous reducing agent over a hearth of the smelting furnace in advance, placing the pellets on the carbonaceous reducing agent, and further covering the pellets by carbonaceous reducing agent.

### Claim 2

A method for smelting nickel oxide ore that forms pellets from nickel oxide ore and smelts by reducing and heating the pellets, the method comprising:
a pellet production step of producing pellets from the nickel oxide ore; and
a reduction step of reducing and heating the obtained pellets in a smelting furnace at a predetermined reducing temperature,
wherein the pellet production step forms pellets by making a mixture by mixing raw materials including the nickel oxide ore without mixing in a carbonaceous reducing agent, and then agglomerating the mixture, and
wherein, upon charging the obtained pellets into the smelting furnace, a state is established by spreading carbonaceous reducing agent over a hearth of the smelting furnace in advance, placing the pellets on the carbonaceous reducing agent, and covering the pellets with further carbonaceous reducing agent, and then are reduced and heated in the reduction step.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to claim 2, wherein covering pellets placed on the carbonaceous reducing agent with further carbonaceous reducing agent in the reduction step is performed so that the thickness from an upper end of the pellets thus covered until a surface of a layer of the carbonaceous reducing agent becomes at least 5% of the size in the height direction of the pellets.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method for smelting nickel oxide ore according to claim 2, wherein the temperature upon charging the pellets into the smelting furnace is set to no higher than 600° C.