Treatment of nickeliferous oxide concentrates for recovery of nickel values therefrom

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING NICKEL VALUES FROM NICKELIFEROUS OXIDE MATERIAL CONTAINING IRON WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF EXPOSING FINELY PULVERIZED PARTICLES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF NICKELIFEROUS OXIDES AND IRON OXIDE TO A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE IN A HEATED REACTION ZONE WHEREBY THE NICKEL VALUES OF THE MATERIAL ARE REDUCED TO METALLIC NICKEL, DIGESTING THE REDUCED MATERIAL WITH AN AMMONIA-AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION IN THE RATIO OF ABOUT ONE PART REDUCED MATERIAL TO ABOUT THREE PARTS SOLUTION, FEEDING AN OXYGEN BEARING OXIDIZING GAS INTO THE MIXTURE DURING THE DIGESTING STEP AND CONTINUING THE DIGESTING STEP FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE SOLUBLE IRON PRESENT IN THE REDUCED MATERIAL TO AN INSOLUBLE HYDROXIDE OF IRON, DILUTING THE DIGESTED MIXTURE WITH AMMONIA-AMMONIUM CARBONATE LEACH SOLUTION, AGITATING THE DILUTED MIXTURE IN A REACTION ZONE AND FEEDING AN OXYGEN BEARING OXIDIZING GAS THEREINTO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO PUT INTO SOLUTION THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE NICKEL VALUES OF THE DILUTED MIXTURE, SEPARATING THE LEACHED SOLIDS FROM THE LEACH SOLUTION, AND RECOVERING THE NICKEL VALUES FROM THE SOLUTION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING NICKEL VALUES FROM NICKELIFEROUS OXIDE MATERIAL CONTAINING IRON WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF EXPOSING FINELY PULVERIZED PARTICLES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF NICKELIFEROUS OXIDES AND IRON OXIDE TO A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE IN A HEATED REACTION ZONE WHEREBY THE NICKEL VALUES OF THE MATERIAL ARE REDUCED TO METALLIC NICKEL, DIGESTING THE REDUCED MATERIAL WITH AN AMMONIA-AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION IN THE RATIO OF ABOUT ONE PART REDUCED MATERIAL TO ABOUT THREE PARTS SOLUTION, FEEDING AN OXYGEN BEARING OXIDIZING GAS INTO THE MIXTURE DURING THE DIGESTING STEP AND CONTINUING THE DIGESTING STEP FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE SOLUBLE IRON PRESENT IN THE REDUCED MATERIAL TO AN INSOLUBLE HYDROXIDE OF IRON, DILUTING THE DIGESTED MIXTURE WITH AMMONIA-AMMONIUM CARBONATE LEACH SOLUTION, AGITATING THE DILUTED MIXTURE IN A REACTION ZONE AND FEEDING AN OXYGEN BEARING OXIDIZING GAS THEREINTO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO PUT INTO SOLUTION THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE NICKEL VALUES OF THE DILUTED MIXTURE, SEPARATING THE LEACHED SOLIDS FROM THE LEACH SOLUTION, AND RECOVERING THE NICKEL VALUES FROM THE SOLUTION.