The making of nickel is a process which involves a number of steps:
1. Mining
Nickel mined from lateritic ore is mined from various depths beneath the surface using large earth-moving equipment. The other nickel containing type of ore, sulfidic ore, is usually found in combination with copper ore and is mined underground.
Nickel from lateritic ore is extracted trough extractive metallurgy. It is extracted from its ores trough a conventional roasting method which removes the moisture from the ore. Next the nickel oxide is removed by reduction furnace which also greatly reduces the chemical bound water. Resulting in a 75% pure form of nickel.
The extraction of nickel from the sulfidic ore requires a different method. Current methods include both flash and electric smelting. The ore is placed in the furnace which already contains pre-heated oxygen. This smelting process will cause the iron and sulfide to oxidize resulting in 45% nickel. During the final step oxygen is injected in the molten bath, which will eliminate any of the remaining traces of iron and sulfide.
2. Refining
After the mining and processing of either the lateritic ore or sulfidic ore there remains nickel matte. Through further refining a 95% pure nickel can be obtained by using the fluid bed roasting technique.
The use of electric cells allows for a better refining process. The electrical cells equipped with inert cathodes removes the final impurities from the nickel, resulting in a high quality nickel. This refining process is quickly becoming the standard method in the industry.
The terms “reserves” and “resources” are used to describe the availability of raw materials. The Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards defines the terms as follows: “A mineral resource is a concentration or occurrence of solid material of economic interest in or on the Earth’s crust in such form, grade or quality and quantity that there are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. A mineral reserve is the economically mineable part of a Measured and/or Indicated Mineral Resource.”
‘Reserves’ imply an increased level of knowledge and confidence. Mining companies continuously convert resources into reserves by exploration. In most cases therefore, limitations in the availability of raw materials are less an issue of whether there is enough raw material in the ground, than whether there is enough production capacity available in a short time frame to satisfy a sharp increase in demand.
The world’s nickel resources are currently estimated at almost 350 million tons.
Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Russia and Canada account for more than 50% of the global nickel resources. Economic concentrations of nickel occur in sulphide and in laterite-type ore deposits.
Despite the fact that nearly 80% of all nickel historically mined was extracted over the past three decades, known nickel reserves and resources have also steadily grown. Various parameters play a role in this evolution, including better knowledge of new deposits in remote areas and increased exploration activities by mining companies, driven by attractive commodity prices. Improved technologies in mining, smelting and refining, as well as increased capacities, also allow for lower-grade nickel ore to be processed. Decreasing ore grades are therefore not necessarily a sign of diminishing resources, but a reflection of innovation and improvements made in mining and process technology.
There are also reckoned to be significant nickel deposits in the deep sea. Manganese nodules, which are found on the deep-sea floor, contain significant amounts of nickel. Recent estimates indicate more than 300 million tons of nickel contained in such deposits. The development of deep-sea mining technologies is expected to facilitate access to these resources in future.