Treatment of nickel-bearing ores

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF NICKEL FROM NICKEL OXIDE CONTAINING ORES WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SUCH AN ORE HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE BELOW ABOUT 100 MESH WITH A CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN CONTAINING GAS AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 250 AND 350*C. IN A FIRST TREATMENT STEP, TO THEREBY REDUCE THE NICKEL TO METALLIC FORM, RECOVERING THE CARBON MONOXIDE RICH TAIL GAS OF SAID FIRST TREATMENT STEP, SUBJECTING THE SAME TO TREATMENT FOR THE SEPARATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER THEREFROM, CONTACTING THE ORE AFTER SAID FIRST TREATMENT STEP WITH SAID CARBON MONOXIDE RICH GAS FREED OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER IN A SECOND TREATMENT STEP, AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 10*C. AND 35*C. TO THEREBY SELECTIVELY VOLATILIZE THE NICKEL AS NICKEL CARBONYL, THEREAFTER REACTING THE NICKEL CARBONYL SO FORMED WITH CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID AT 10*C.-60*C. TO FORM NICKEL SULFATE, CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, AND RECYCLING THE CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN TO SAID FIRST TREATMENT STEP.