Ferro-Nickel

Ferro-nickel is produced by the co-decomposition of the carbonyl asfollows ] 

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Nicolaidu, A. and J.A. Nott. 1990. Mediterranean pollution from a ferro-nickel smelter differential uptake by some gastropods. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21 137-143. 

Ferro-alloys Master alloys containing a significant amount of bon and a few elements more or less soluble in molten bon which improve properties of bon and steels. As additives they give bon and steel better characteristics (increased tensile sbength, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc.). For master alloy production carbothermic processes are used for large-scale ferro-sihcon, ferro-chromium, ferro-tungsten, ferro-manganese, ferro-nickel and metallothermic processes (mainly alumino and sihco-thermic) for ferro-titanium, ferro-vanadium, ferro-molybdenum, ferro-boron. 

Using an organic solution containing 25% Alamine 336 and 15% dodecanol in kerosene, it is possible to separate the metals one after the other by oxidizing iron to Fe(III) and altering the chloride ion concentration by evaporation. This was also the original object of the process. However, it was found that the complete oxidation of iron was complicated and, as the iron in ferro-cobalt and ferro-nickel did not ruin the market value of the products, the process finally used is shown in Fig. 14.9. 

The ecological and economic consequences of recovering 4500 lbs. per month of a 32% ferro-nickel alloy are impressive. This material can be saleable feedstock to industries producing wrought stainless steel, stainless steel castings, and high-nickel cast irons. Instead of a cost and liability, we now have a profit center. 

Sometimes oxidised ores, such as Garnierite, are reduced for the direct manufacture of ferro-nickel, but the bulk of nickel ore is utilised in the production of commercial nickel. To this end the methods vary somewhat im detail according to the nature of the ore. Most processes, however, may for purposes of description be divided into two sections comprising (I) the production of Bessemerised matte, and (II) the reduction of this matte to metallic nickel, a process usually termed refining. 

Ferro-nickel nonacarbonyl, FeNi(CO)s, appears to be formed when iron pentacarbonyl is dissolved in nickel tetracarbonyl.3... 

The nickel in solution in the slurry is completely precipitated without liquids-solids separation with metallic powered iron at about 150°C under a pressure of 150 psig. The precipitated nickel contains occluded basic ferric sulfates which are decomposed by calcining at 950°C to produce a mixture of metallic nickel, metallic iron, and iron oxides. Melting of this mixture with a slag is calculated to yield a ferro-nickel containing more than 55% nickel. 

The use of spent nickel catalyst in its posthydrogenation form is limited. The only available example of its use is by the M.A. Hanna Company (Cleveland, Ohio). This company mines and smelts nickel, producing a ferro-nickel product of primary use in the production of stainless steels. To conserve its nickel supplies, Hanna modified its system for feeding the production line to allow mixing of spent nickel catalyst with the nickel containing ores at up to 10% of the total nickel feed (108). 

Cadmium evaporates by heating at approximately 800°C and is recovered as metal or Cd compound. After a refining treatment, Cd is used as secondary raw material for NiCd battery. On the other hand, Fe and Ni are regenerated as ferro-nickel compoimds to be utilized as materials for the stainless steel industry. There are 4 recyclers for NiCd battery in Japan and they have over 20 years of operating experience. 

Together, the annual output of the 2 factories is over 700 tonnes of cadmium metal of a purity of 99.99 % by weight and more than 650 tonnes of nickel in the form of iron nickel residues (1,900 tonnes) or ferro-nickel. The balance is made of plastic materials (cases of the industrial batteries, plastic shells around the power packs etc.), of scrap iron (metallic cases of the industrial batteries, iron residues coming form the distillation of negative pocket plates). These products are valorised at a market value either for energy production or scrap. 

In the process the Ni-Cd batteries are first shredded and leached of the metal components in concentrated hydrochloric acid. This leachate consists of a solution of the dissolved metals, mainly Fe, Ni, Cd with small amounts of Co, Cu and Hg at a pH of approximately 0. The Cd is extracted with a commercial metal ion extractant, then stripped into an aqueous electrolyte solution from which cadmium is electrowon. After extraction of the cadmium, the leachate is contacted with sodium hypochlorite, at pH 4, to oxidise Fe(II) to Fe(III) and induce precipitation of ferric hydroxide. The filtrate now contains mainly Ni which is recovered by electrodeposition. The processing of 1000 kg of batteries will produce 200 kg of Ni metal and 159 kg of Cd metal and 500 kg of ferro-nickel scrap. An alternative process [33], is operated in China for the recovery of Ni and Cd from Ni/Cd batteries. 

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