Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a liquid storage apparatus for use in the sulfurization facility for sulfurizing a sulfate solution to produce a sulfide, the apparatus comprising a plurality of liquid storage vessels for storing a slurry or a filtrate after solid/liquid separation, a collective conduit for collectively passing an inactive gas to be fed into the liquid storage vessels or an exhaust gas discharged from the liquid storage vessels, and a pressure control conduit for receiving the flow of the inactive gas and the exhaust gas in order to control the pressure at the inner side of the liquid storage vessels. The pressure control conduit is connected by a junction to the collective conduit and equipped with a pair of pressure control valves mounted at both, front and rear, sides of the junction communicating to the collective conduit.

Abstract: A wet smelting plant for nickel oxide ore is provided in which, even when a serious trouble occurs in a processing facility, the preparation period of time of the processing facility required for discontinuing and restarting the operation can be minimized.

Abstract: A sulfurization facility, where the sulfurizing reaction is conducted in a wet smelting for nickel oxide ore, is improved particularly with the structural modification of its liquid storage vessels so that the consumption of a hydrogen sulfide gas used in a sulfurization step and the consumption of an alkali solution used for processing an exhaust gas can be reduced and the overall cost of operation will thus be minimized.