Pyrometallurgical process for recovering nickel, manganese, and cobalt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926884-B2
Application number	US-201917779782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Nov 27, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A 2-step high temperature process for recovering Ni, Co, and Mn from various sources comprises preparing a metallurgical charge comprising materials containing Ni, Co, and Mn, and Si, Al, Ca and Mg as slag formers; smelting the charge with slag formers in first reducing conditions, thereby obtaining a Ni—Co alloy comprising a major part of at least one of Co and Ni, with Si<0.1%, and a first slag comprising the major part of the Mn; separation of the first slag from the alloy; and, smelting the first slag in second reducing conditions, more reducing than said first reducing conditions, thereby obtaining a Si—Mn alloy comprising the major part of the Mn, with Si>10%, and a second slag. A Ni—Co alloy is produced, and a Si—Mn alloy is produced. The second slag is essentially free of heavy metals and therefore suitable for reuse.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Process for the production of Si—Mn alloy from materials containing Ni, Mn and Co, comprising the steps:
a) preparing a metallurgical charge comprising said materials, and Si, Al, Ca, and Mg as slag formers;
b) smelting the charge in first reducing conditions, thereby obtaining a Ni-Co alloy and a first slag, wherein the Ni-Co alloy comprises a major part of at least one of Co and Ni and has a Si content <0.1 wt %, and wherein the first slag comprises a major part of the Mn;
c) separation of the first slag from the Ni-Co alloy; and
d) smelting the first slag in second reducing conditions, more reducing than said first reducing conditions, thereby obtaining a Si-Mn alloy and a second slag, wherein the Si-Mn alloy comprises a major part of the Mn and has a Si content >10 wt %.

2. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the first slag has a composition according to:
0.25<SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 <2.5;
0.5<SiO 2 /CaO<2.5;
MnO>2.5 wt %;
MgO>5 wt %; and,
Co+Ni>0.1 wt %.

3. Process according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adding the Si—Mn alloy to an Fe-based molten phase, thereby obtaining Si—Mn steel.

Assignees

• Umicore Nv

Inventors

• Scheunis Lennart
• Vermeulen Isabel

Classifications

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• C21B2400/02

  Physical or chemical treatment of slags · CPC title

• C22B7/04

  Working-up slag · CPC title

• C22B7/001

  Dry processes · CPC title

• C22C33/04

  by melting · CPC title