Abstract: A process for producing a cobalt III encapsulated nickel hydroxide or basic nickel carbonate product including the steps of: (i) providing an ammoniacal solution including cobalt ammine complexes and nickel II ammine complexes; (ii) progressively lowering the ammonia content to sequentially precipate the nickel as an hydroxide or basic carbonate; and (iii) further lowering the ammonia content to precipitate the majority of the cobalt as cobalt III oxide hydroxide; wherein the majority of cobalt III oxide hydroxide coats on the surface of the precipitate nickel hydroxide or basic nickel carbonate to form a coated particle.

Abstract: A process for producing a cobalt III encapsulated nickel hydroxide or basic nickel carbonate product including the steps of:

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for heating a solid material in a process vessel are disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (a) supplying a charge of the solid material to the vessel to form a packed bed; (b) supplying a fluid to the packed bed to pressurise the contents of the vessel; (c) supplying steam to the vessel to heat the solid material in the packed bed by indirect heat exchange while maintaining the contents of the vessel under pressure; and (d) controlling the operating conditions in step (c). The operating conditions in step (c) are controlled to transfer heat to the solid material and allow water in the solid material to be removed as a liquid phase in a first “wet” stage of the method and to transfer heat to the solid material to boil at least a part of the remaining water from the solid material as a vapor phase in a second “dry” stage of the method.