About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
Symposium
|
Advances in Pyrometallurgy: Developing Low Carbon Pathways
|
Presentation Title |
Ferronickel Production from Nickel Laterite via Sulfide Chemistry |
Author(s) |
Caspar Stinn, Antoine Allanore |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Caspar Stinn |
Abstract Scope |
Stainless steel exhibits among the highest rates of demand growth of all the commodity metals, yet its production remains burdened by carbon, energy, and water intensive legacy technologies. These alloys are made from a blending of ferronickel, ferrochromium, iron, and other components, with each feedstock exhibiting a range of technoeconomic bottlenecks to sustainability. New sulfide process chemistries have been developed as platform technologies to decarbonize mining, materials separations, impurity management, and metals production. Herein, we apply selective sulfidation as a means to produce ferronickel and stainless steel directly from mineral feedstocks. We first demonstrate production of iron-nickel sulfide and iron-nickel-chromium sulfide from laterite and blended laterite-chromite minerals and concentrates. We then develop electrolytic and metallothermic techniques for carbon-free production of stainless steel from these sulfide feedstocks. Technoeconomic and life cycle assessment reveals that sulfide-based chemistries for stainless steel production are cost competitive and enable a step change in environmental impact. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
Keywords |
Extraction and Processing, Copper / Nickel / Cobalt, Iron and Steel |