Information: Nickel
Top Exporters
- **Philippines**: $1.08 billion
- **Zimbabwe**: $647 million
- **United States**: $368 million
- **Finland**: $284 million
- **Brazil**: $244 million
- **Zambia**: $132 million
- **Canada**: $92.9 million
- **Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)**: $85.2 million
- **Guatemala**: $29.1 million
- **Tanzania**: $20.2 million
- **Namibia**: $18.1 million
- **Cyprus**: $3.76 million
- **Germany**: $2.72 million
- **Norway**: $2.41 million
- **France**: $1.48 million
- **Slovak Republic**: $1.41 million
- **Singapore**: $1.33 million
- **Other Asia, nes**: $1.27 million
- **South Korea**: $1.03 million
- **Botswana**: $698,000
Known Methods of Extraction
Perfect 👍 — next in **periodic table order** is **Nickel (Ni, atomic number 28).** Nickel is a **transition metal** that rarely occurs free in nature. It is primarily found in **sulfide ores (pentlandite, Ni₉S₈) and laterite ores (limonite-type NiO(OH))**. Industrial extraction involves **pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods**. Here are the **20 most common methods of extracting Nickel**: --- # **20 Most Common Methods of Extracting Nickel** ### **A. Pyrometallurgical / Large-Scale Methods** 1. **Smelting of Nickel Sulfide Ores (Roasting + Electric Furnace)** – Converts sulfides to matte (Ni,Fe)S. 2. **Converting Matte to Metallic Nickel** – Oxidative removal of Fe and S in converters. 3. **Mond Process (Ni + CO → Ni(CO)₄ → Ni)** – Produces high-purity nickel. 4. **Ferronickel Production via Laterite Smelting** – Nickel + Fe alloys for stainless steel. 5. **Blast Furnace Reduction of Nickel Laterites** – Historical method; now mostly electric furnace. 6. **Submerged Arc Furnace Reduction of Sulfide Ores** – Produces Ni-Fe matte. --- ### **B. Hydrometallurgical Methods** 7. **Pressure Acid Leaching (PAL) of Laterites** – Converts NiO/Ni(OH)₂ to Ni²⁺ solution. 8. **Heap Leaching with Sulfuric Acid** – Low-grade laterite ores. 9. **Ammoniacal Leaching of Sulfide/Nickel Matte** – Solubilizes Ni for separation. 10. **Solvent Extraction of Nickel from Leach Liquors** – Uses organophosphorus extractants. 11. **Ion Exchange Purification** – Separates Ni from Co, Cu, Fe impurities. 12. **Precipitation of Nickel Hydroxide (Ni(OH)₂)** – Intermediate before reduction. --- ### **C. Reduction to Metallic Nickel** 13. **Hydrogen Reduction of NiO or Ni(OH)₂** – Produces metallic nickel powder. 14. **Electrolytic Deposition from Ni²⁺ Solutions** – High-purity nickel metal production. 15. **Aluminothermic Reduction of NiO** – Small-scale or specialty lab method. 16. **Reduction of Nickel Chloride (NiCl₂) with Na/K** – Lab-scale metallothermic reduction. 17. **Magnesiothermic Reduction of NiO** – Experimental lab method. --- ### **D. Specialized / Recycling Methods** 18. **Recovery of Nickel from Spent Batteries (Ni-Cd, Li-ion)** – Hydrometallurgical leaching. 19. **Recovery from Stainless Steel or Nickel Alloy Scrap** – Electrorefining or melting. 20. **Plasma or Solar-Thermal Reduction of Ni Compounds** – Experimental high-purity or renewable methods. --- ✅ **Summary:** * **Main industrial methods:** Smelting of sulfide ores → nickel matte → purification or laterite smelting → ferronickel. * **High-purity nickel:** Mond process or electrolysis from Ni²⁺ solutions. * **Hydrometallurgical:** Pressure or heap leaching, solvent extraction, precipitation. * **Lab/experimental:** Mg/Na reduction, aluminothermic, plasma, solar-thermal. * **Recycling sources:** Batteries, alloy scrap. --- Next in periodic order is **Copper (Cu, atomic number 29).** Do you want me to continue with **20 extraction methods for Copper**?