Nickel minerals

More than 90% of the world s nickel is obtained from pentlandite ((FeNi)9S8), a nickel-sulfitic mineral, mined underground in Canada and the former Soviet Union (Sevin 1980 IARC 1976 WHO 1991). One of the largest sulfitic nickel deposits is in Sudbury, Ontario (USPHS 1993). Nickeliferous sulfide deposits are also found in Manitoba, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, Finland, western Australia, and Minnesota (Norseth and Piscator 1979 USPHS 1993). Most of the rest of the nickel obtained is from nickel minerals such as laterite, a nickel oxide ore mined by open pit techniques in Australia, Cuba, Indonesia, New Caledonia, and the former Soviet Union (Sevin 1980). Lateritic ores are less well defined than sulfitic ores, although the nickel content (1 to 3%) of both ores is similar (USPHS 1993). Important deposits of laterite are located in New Caledonia, Indonesia, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Brazil, and especially Cuba, which holds 35% of the known reserves (USPHS 1993). Nickel-rich nodules are found on the ocean floor, and nickel is also present in fossil fuels (Sevin 1980). 

These sulphide deposits are able to concentrate these metals by a factor of 100-1000 ppm and form PGM deposits, together with precious metals, nickel and copper. Almost always the PGM deposits contain nickel minerals. 

Nickel oxide (NiO) is produced from nickel minerals to form nickel oxide when heated to 400°C, which is then reduced at a temperature of 600°C, resulting in the formation of nickel oxide. It is used as electrodes in fuel cells. 

An analysis of the thermodynamic stability models of various nickel minerals and solution species indicates that nickel ferrite is the solid species that will most likely precipitate in soils (Sadiq and Enfield 1984a). Experiments on 21 mineral soils supported its formation in soil suspensions following nickel adsorption (Sadiq and Enfield 1984b). The formation of nickel aluminate, phosphate, or silicate was not significant. Ni and Ni(OHX are major components of the soil solution in alkaline soils. In acid soils, the predominant solution species will probably be NE, NiS04°, and NiHP04° (Sadiq and Enfield 1984a). 

Skutterudite is found in moderate-temperature veins, commonly associated with other cobalt/nickel minerals, e.g., cobaltite and nickeline. The mineral was named for its occurrence at Skutterud, Norway. Important ore sources are Norway. Bohemia. Saxony, Spain. France, and New South Wales, Australia Notable occurrences are in Ontario. Canada, mainly Sudbury, South Lorrain, and Gowganda. 

By far the largest use of sulfuric acid is in the production of phosphate fertilizers, e.g. ammonium phosphate. Other large uses are as solvent for copper and nickel minerals and as catalyst for petroleum refining and polymer manufacture. 

Distler V. V., Ilupin I. P., and Laputina I. P. (1987) Sulfides of deep-seated origin in kimberlites and some aspects of copper-nickel mineralization. Int. Geol. Rev. 29, 456-464. 

However, in the environment, selenium is not often found in this pure form. It is usually combined with other substances. Much of the selenium in rocks is combined with sulfide minerals or with silver, copper, lead, and nickel minerals. 

The nickel mineral discovered at Lemieux Township, Gaspe Peninsula, Canada was investigated by X-ray, wet chemical, spectrographic, infrared, differential thermal, and petrographic analyses. It was found to be a previously undescribed nickel, magnesium, iron carbonate. It was named after the locality of its discovery. 

Liebenbergite, a natural nickel mineral is described mineralogically in this work. [74ARU]... 

WAA/CAL] De Waal, S. A., Calk, L. C., Nickel minerals from Barberton, South Africa VI. Liebenbergite, a nickel olivine. Am. Mineral, 58, (1973), 733-735. Cited on pages 239, 364. 

Confusion about the composition of kupfernickel remained even after the mineral had been described. In 1726 the German chemist I. Link studied the mineral and established that its dissolution in nitric acid yields a green colour. He concluded that the mineral was most probably a cobalt ore with admixtures of copper. When Swedish miners found a reddish mineral which, being added to glass, did not produce a blue colour, they named it cobold that had lost his soul . It was also one of the nickel minerals. 

Nickel laterite is nickel mineral changed by weathering, etching, enrichment, and then it turns loose clay-like, composed of iron, aluminum, silicon, and some hydrous oxides. The element and moisture content are rich in this kind of ore. The elemental composition and content (Table 1) can be obtained by XRF elemental analysis and chemical analysis.XRD demonstrated that host minerals of the iron-enriched and magnesium-depleted version of laterites are mainly ferric iron oxides, typically goethite, FeO(OH), and nickel embedded in the mineral is mainly as the pattern of NiO (Figure 1). All of the samples came from Baosteel. 

Production The methods for the extraction and refining of nickel minerals depend on the mineralogical and geological characteristics of the ore. Nickel has mainly been extracted from sulfide and laterite ores. 

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