Abstract: A process of making ceramic spheroids by firing clay spheroids comprising by weight percent: FeO (3.22-5.21), Fe3O4 (3.40-5.11), SiO2 (52.49-59.42), CaO (1.99-7.96), MgO (2.81-4.69), Al2O3 (12.05-17.65), TlO2 (0.58-0.71), MnO (0.07-0.19), Na2O (0.47-0.86), K2O (1.70-2.37), P2O3 (0.13-0.19), S (0.03-0.29), CO2 (0.90-8.23), Organic C (0.22-1.04), H2O+ (4.14-7.28), H2O− (2.12-5.48) in contact with a particulate parting agent selected from aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and their precursors at a sufficiently high temperature and for a sufficiently long time to form a shell. Preferably, the clay spheroids are obtained from a deposit located at Hallock in Kittson County Minn., U.S.A.

Abstract: A process for recovering iron, nickel and magnesium metal from low grade nickeliferrous ores is described. This process which requires little energy input comprises the steps of(a) grinding the ore to reduce the particle size of the ore,(b) preparing a slurry of the ground ore in sulfuric acid containing less than ten percent of water,(c) adding water to the acid:ore slurry in an amount which is effective to initiate a sulfation reaction,(d) allowing the sulfation reaction to continue utilizing the heat of the sulfation reaction, whereby water-soluble metal sulfates are formed,(e) leaching the sulfation product with water to extract the water-soluble salts of iron, nickel and magnesium from the insoluble residue, and(f) recovering the nickel, magnesium and iron from the leach solution.The desired metals which are recovered in this manner contain significantly reduced levels of undesirable silica.