Patent ID: 7357827

Claim:
An integrated process for the recovery of a metallic nickel product from a solvent extraction process comprising: (a) forming a nickel ammine complex substantially as a hexammine complex, by stripping nickel from a nickel loaded organic phase with a high strength ammonia solution selected from the group consisting of an ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution and a high strength ammoniacal ammonium sulfate solution, wherein following step (a), the molar ratio of ammonia to nickel in the high strength ammoniacal ammonium sulfate solution is greater than 6:1, or the molar ratio of ammonia to nickel in the high strength ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution is greater than 8:1; and (b) reducing the nickel ammine complex from the high strength ammonia solution with hydrogen to produce a metallic nickel product.