Inco Limited

Vale S.a.

Vale Inco Limited

Samuel W Marcuson

Carlos M Diaz

Carlos A Landolt

Anthony Edward Warner

Haydn Davies

David E Hall

Ahmed Vahed

Geoffrey Edwin Osborne

James A Bell

Juraj Babjak

Feng Zou

Emmanuel Nii Tackie

Richard Stratton-Crawley

Mohammad Jahangir Hossain

James H Amson

Wanda Agnieszka Baczkowska

Quan Min Yang

A method for producing prefluxed metal oxide from a metal salt selected from nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate and combinations thereof includes providing a mixture of at least one slag making oxide and a metal salt selected from the group consisting of nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate and combinations thereof, blending with a binder, blending in a flux additive to form a slag-making mixture, forming the slag-making mixture into prefluxed agglomerates, and calcining the prefluxed agglomerates to produce a prefluxed metal oxide. An agglomerate is provided which includes a metal salt selected from nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate and combinations thereof, a slag making oxide, and a flux additive. An agglomerate is provide which includes a metal oxide selected from nickel oxide and cobalt oxide, and slag, wherein the metal oxide is encapsulated in the slag.

Process for manufacturing prefluxed metal oxide from metal hydroxide and metal carbonate precursors

A method for producing metal oxide from a metal salt selected from nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate or mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate includes providing a mixture of the metal salt, mixing the metal salt with a binder selected from an inorganic binder or an organic binder, forming the mixture into agglomerates, and calcining the agglomerates to produce metal oxide. Another method for making metallic nickel or cobalt includes providing the above metal salt, mixing the metal salt with the above binder to form a mixture, optionally adding water, forming the mixture into agglomerates, drying the agglomerates, adding an effective reducing amount of coke and/or coal and directly reducing the dried agglomerates with an effective amount of heat to produce metallic nickel and/or cobalt. Coke particles may be added to the mixture prior to agglomeration.

Process for production of nickel and cobalt using metal hydroxide, metal oxide and/or metal carbonate

A low temperature contaminant limiting process for lithiating hydroxides and forming lithiated metal oxides of suitable crystalinity in-situ. M(OH)is added to an aqueous solution of LiOH. An oxidant is introduced into the solution which is heated below about 150&#xb0; C. and, if necessary, agitated. M may be selected from cobalt, nickel and manganese. The resultant LiMObecomes crystallized in-situ and is subsequently removed.

Low temperature lithiation of mixed hydroxides

A pyrometallurgical vessel suitable for continuous or semicontinuous smelting and/or conversion of molten base metal sulfide feed materials. The top blown, bottom stirred vessel includes oxidizing gas lances and feed pipes directing their respective contents directly or indirectly into bath eyes opened up in the molten bath by gas injected through porous plugs disposed at the base of the vessel. Low space velocities in the vessel result in reduced dusting.

Reduced dusting bath system for metallurgical treatment of sulfide

Reduced dusting bath method for metallurgical treatment of sulfide

The invention relates to the smelting or converting of particulate sulfide material, such as nickel or copper sulfide. A molten seed bath of smelted or converted material is provided in a reaction vessel. Particulate sulfide material is injected into a reaction vessel below the surface of the melt. Top blowing with an oxygen-containing gas generates heat and brings about the oxidation of the sulfides with a significant decrease in the amount of dust generated. Optional bottom stirring with a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen may further increase efficiency.

Conversion of non-ferrous sulfides

A non-ferrous matte conversion process is disclosed in which molten non-ferrous matte, essentially nickel and/or copper sulfide and iron sulfide, is provided in a suitable vessel, such as a modified Pierce-Smith converter. The bath is stirred from below with a non-reactive sparging gas, such as nitrogen, and surfaceblown from above with an oxygen-containing gas. A flux is added to the melt to raise a fluid slag. In addition, cold crushed matte is added to the bath. The cold matte acts to maintain the temperature of the bath, so as to prevent overheating which can damage the converter lining. The matte addition also serves as a source for additional converter feed. As the reaction progresses, the slag layer is periodically skimmed, and additions of flux and cold matte are made when necessary. When it is no longer possible to raise a slag, a non-ferrous sulfide matte is obtained having a greatly reduced iron content.

Conversion of non-ferrous matte

The invention provides a converter for purifying molten nonferrous material. A converter body having a refractory lined chamber holds the nonferrous material. A gas injector means pierces a lower portion of the chamber for bottom sparging the nonferrous material. A lance pierces an upper portion of the converter body projecting minimally into the chamber for limited exposure to adverse conditions. While converting with top blowing of gas containing oxygen and bottom stirring solid nonferrous metal may be added to the converter to cool the molten nonferrous material and purified molten nonferrous metal.

Converter and method for top blowing nonferrous metal

A copper converting process starting with white metal or a mixture of white metal and metallic copper in which oxidizing gas contacts the molten copper mass either at or near the top surface of the molten mass while the mass is sparged with an inert gas from at or near the bottom of the mass and sparging is continued after contact with the oxidizing gas ceases.

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Sudbury, Canada

Samuel W Marcuson