Recovery of nickel and cobalt by reduction and leaching

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF NICKEL AND COBALT FROM IRON-BEARING COBALT-CONTAINING NICKELIFEROUS OXYGENATED ORES AND CONCENTRATED ORES DERIVED THEREFROM WHICH COMPRISES, MIXING WITH THE ORE IN FINELY DIVIDED FORM A HYDROCARBON WHICH IS A LIQUID AT SOME TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 600*F. AND DOES NOT VOLATILIZE APPRECIABLY BELOW THIS TEMPERATURE, HEATING THE RESULTING MIXTURE IN A NONOXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600*F. THEREBY LIQUEFYING SAID HYDROCARBON AND REDUCING THE NICKEL AND COBALT TO A FORM SELECTIVELY LEACHABLE FROM THE IRON CONTENT IN THE SOLVENT TO BE SUBSEQUENTLY EMPLOYED, THE AMOUNT OF HYDROCARBON EMPOLYED BEING SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE NICKEL CONTENT AND ANY COBALT PRESENT BUT NOT THE IRON TO SAID LEACHABLE FORM, COOLING THE STILL FINELY DIVIDED ORE AND SELECTIVELY LEACHING THE REDUCED NICKEL AND ANY COBALT PRESENT, IN A SUBSTANTIALLY IRON-FREE CONDITION, FROM THE COOLED ORE.