Fundamentals of Selective Solid-State Reduction and Novel Process for Preparing Ferronickel from Laterite Ore

Due to the shortage of laterite ore resources in China, most of the raw nickeliferous materials for ferronickel production have to be imported. The low Ni grade (1–2 wt%), high water content (35–45 wt%) and high transportation cost of laterite ore result in costly production of ferronickel and stainless steel in China. This chapter presents a new method for preparing ferronickel from laterite ore based on selective solid-state reduction followed by magnetic separation. The key issues in the selective reduction of nickel oxides over iron oxides and the growth of newly-formed ferronickel grains (particles) were primarily discussed, and the related fundamentals such as thermodynamics, reduction/sulfidation behaviors of nickel and iron oxides in the ore as well as the growth of ferronickel particles during solid-state reduction were investigated. The pilot-scale tests and industrial tests were then conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposed new process.