4. Nickel metallurgy

4.1 Suitability of production processes for the ores processed

Unlike the steel industry, where a single process (sintering on a grate, blast furnace, oxygen converter) has now become the norm for going from iron ore to steel, nickel metallurgy uses a large number of processes [16] , which can be adapted to the diversity of ores processed.

This diversity is apparent :

• the type of ore (sulfide or oxide ores);

• in nickel content, which may lead to a preference for the pyrometallurgical route (relatively rich ores) or the hydrometallurgical route (poor ores);

• in the nature of the elements...