Patent GB-1351999-A (GB)
Title: Production of metals from metalliferous materials
IPC: C22B5/00
Filed: 1971-04-19
Abstract: 1351999 Separating metal or alloy from metalliferous material KAISER INDUSTRIES CORP 19 April 1971 [26 March 1970 9 Nov 1970] 23417/71 Heading C7D A desired metal, e.g. Fe, Ni or Cu, is separated and recovered from metalliferous material (ore, concentrate and/or alloy) containing the desired metal and at least one more oxidizable metallic element in a furnace system comprising a metal separation zone 11, a metal purity control zone 12 and a metal recovery control zone 14 optionally with an intermediate zone 13 therebetween, and a slag separation zone 15, in which are maintained a liquid metal phase G (containing the metal and element) flowing from zone 15 to zone 11 and a liquid slag phase F (containing oxides of the metal and element) flowing from zone 11 to zone 15, in distinct paths in contact with each other extending between zones 11 and 15, by introducing into at least one of the flow paths the metalliferous material A e.g. through feed tubes 16, 17, an oxidizing agent B e. g. O 2 , CO 2  or steam through lances 18, 19 (at least some being added in zone 12), and a reducing agent D e.g. H 2 , C or hydrocarbon through feed tube 21 (at least some being added in zone 14), and regulating the amounts added to control the concentrations of oxide of the metal in the slag phase of zone 12 to at least one third of the total oxide and of more oxidizable elements in the metal phase of zone 14, and removing the desired metal product and liquid slag impoverished in oxide of the metal from zones 12 and 14 respectively via metal and slag separation zones 11, 15 and spouts 27, 28. The furnace system may be single elongated vessel 10, Fig. 1, in which the phases flow countercurrently in continuous contact, or the zones 11-15 may be in distinct communicating vessels 68, 63, 39, 51 and 56, Fig. 2. A desired metal and a more oxidizable metal may be recovered from a metalliferous material containing the two metals in separate liquid metal streams from a single furnace system by adding a more oxidizable metal yield zone. A single furnace may contain one or more intermediate dams, e.g. for separating a feed containing Ni, Fe and Co into a Ni stream (from zone 11), a Ni-Co-Fe alloy stream (from zone 13) and separate Fe and slag streams (from zone 15.) Flux E e.g. CaF 2 , SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Na 2  CO 3 , BaO and/or CaO, may be added to the slag phase through tube 22 in zone 12 to drive out impurities; inert  gas C through pipes 20 may be included for mixing the phases; and burned supplied with fuel gas and oxygen may be provided for heating. The oxidising and reducing agents may be included in the feed material A e.g. NiO and Fe, in a Fe(O), Ni(O) system; or Fe oxides for removing  impurities Si, Mn or Cr in Fe or Fe-Ni alloy for reducing NiO. Examples of feed materials are (a) oxidic and siliceous nickeliferous ores (containing iron oxides) e.g. laterites and garnicrites, oxidic Cu ores e.g. cuprites, oxidic Fe-bearing ores e.g. haematites and limonites, Fe-Mn and Fe-Cr ores, Cu or Ni sulphidic ores, and (b) Fe-Ni, Fe-Cr, Fe-Mn, Ni-Cr alloys, or combinations of Fe with Cu, scrap Fe, Cu and Ni alloys. Sulphidic material containing Cu and Fe may be oxidized to remove S and the oxidic material produced premelted, Cu concentrate containing Au and Ag impurities may be premelted and reduced to separate the impurities in a portion of the Cu, and oxidic Fe material may be presmelted to recover all the Fe (with any Mn) as liquid, prior to introducing into the furnace system. For lateritic Ni ore, Ni is removed and the slag removed is employed as a secondary metalliferous material to separate one or more other elements e.g. Co-Ni-Fe alloy, Fe and Cr-Mn-Fe alloy.