摘要:
A process for extracting a nickel product having a predetermined nickel to cobalt ratio and a mixed nickel-cobalt sulphide product having a low nickel to cobalt ratio from reduced nickel and cobalt bearing lateritic and garnieritic ores. The reduced ores are leached in one or more stages under oxidizing conditions in an aqueous ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution. Solution from the leaching operation is treated in a multi-stage cobalt removal operation in which excess sulphidizing agent is added to one stage to effect extraction of a large quantity of cobalt from solution as a mixed nickel-cobalt sulphide precipitate. The amount of sulphidizing agent added to another stage is restricted to produce a mixed nickel-cobalt sulphide precipitate with a low Ni:Co weight ratio. The mixed sulphide precipitate is removed from each stage solution and a portion is recycled to the solution from which it was removed.