METHOD OF PROCESSING OXIDE-BEARING NICKEL ORE Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: metallurgy; production of ferronickel and nickel from oxide-bearing ores. SUBSTANCE: method includes batch delivery of charge to melting unit from prepared nickel-containing ore, carbon reductant and flux additives, supply of energy for melting the charge and reducing nickel from nickel oxide and part of iron from iron oxides, forming ferronickel melt, removing melt and slag from melting unit; prior to delivery of charge to melting, ferronickel produced beforehand is melted and this mass is set in rotation till parabolic dimple is formed; carbon reductant is first introduced in molten ferronickel at level of 2.5 %; ferronickel temperature is reduced to 1350-1450 C; batches of charge are melted on surface of parabolic dimple; energy is introduced in proportion relative to mass of charge being fed both from surface of ferronickel melt and through surface of slag melt thus formed; main part of nickel from nickel oxide and part of iron from iron oxides are reduced by carbon of ferronickel melt till content of carbon in ferronickel reduces to 1-1.2%; nickel-depleted slag is removed after processing each batch of charge; after tapping last batch, ferronickel temperature is increased to level exceeding melting point of ferronickel by 50 to 100 C and carbon residue is removed from ferronickel; newly obtained carbon-free ferronickel is removed from melting unit and remaining melt is again carbonized to 2.5% and operations are repeated. EFFECT: possibility of obtaining waste-free and ecologically safe technology of processing nickel ores. 8 cl, 1 ex