Abstract: The present invention concerns the recovery of cobalt from cobalt-bearing materials, in particular from cobalt-bearing lithium-ion secondary batteries, from the spent batteries, or from their scrap. A process is divulged for the recovery of cobalt from cobalt-bearing materials, comprising the steps of: providing a converter furnace, charging slag formers and one or more of copper matte, copper-nickel matte, and impure alloy into the furnace, and injecting an oxidizing gas so as to smelt the charge in oxidizing conditions, thereby obtaining a molten bath comprising a crude metal phase, and a cobalt-bearing slag, and separating the crude metal from the cobalt-bearing slag, characterized in that the cobalt-bearing materials are charged into the furnace. This process is particularly suitable for recycling cobalt-bearing lithium-ion secondary batteries.

Abstract: Disclosed are a catalyst composite including a metal; and a nitrogen-containing porous 2D polymer carrier, and a method of manufacturing the catalyst composite. Accordingly, provided is a high-efficiency catalyst composite that does not depend on pH acid concentration using a nitrogen-containing porous two-dimensional (2D) polymer carrier and a low-cost metal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuming furnace with a lead collecting and discharging function, the fuming furnace comprising a furnace body; the furnace body is provided with a hearth therein and a tuyere thereon; the bottom of the hearth forms a molten pool; the furnace body is further provided with a slag discharging outlet and a lead discharging outlet thereon; the furnace body comprises a furnace bottom water jacket and a hearth water jacket; the furnace bottom water jacket is provided with a refractory brick layer at the inner wall thereof; the refractory brick layer is provided with a lead collecting and discharging channel therein for collecting and discharging lead; the lead collecting and discharging channel is in communication with the lead discharging outlet, and the lead collecting and discharging channel is in communication with the molten pool via joints between the refractory bricks forming the refractory brick layer.

Abstract: Provided is a method for transporting reductant such as coke into a metallurgical furnace containing a bottom layer containing molten metal and a top layer on top of the bottom layer containing molten metal. The method comprises a first providing step for providing reductant, a second providing step for providing metal, a forming step for forming carriers containing reductant and metal of reductant provided in the first providing step and metal provided in the second providing step, and a feeding step for feeding carriers formed in the forming step into the metallurgical furnace. Also provided is a carrier and a production method for producing carriers.

Abstract: A method for producing metal oxide from a metal salt selected from nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate or mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate includes providing a mixture of the metal salt, mixing the metal salt with a binder selected from an inorganic binder or an organic binder, forming the mixture into agglomerates, and calcining the agglomerates to produce metal oxide. Another method for making metallic nickel or cobalt includes providing the above metal salt, mixing the metal salt with the above binder to form a mixture, optionally adding water, forming the mixture into agglomerates, drying the agglomerates, adding an effective reducing amount of coke and/or coal and directly reducing the dried agglomerates with an effective amount of heat to produce metallic nickel and/or cobalt. Coke particles may be added to the mixture prior to agglomeration.

Abstract: An improved method of reducing a mixed metal oxide composition comprising oxides of nickel, cobalt, copper and iron in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce a mixture of the respective metals, the improvement wherein the atmosphere further comprises water vapour at a concentration, temperature and time to effect selective reduction of the oxides of nickel cobalt and copper relative to the iron oxide to produce the metallic mixture having a reduced ratio of metallic iron relative to metallic nickel, cobalt and copper.

Abstract: A metallic article made of metallic constituent elements is fabricated from a mixture of nonmetallic precursor compounds of the metallic constituent elements. The mixture of nonmetallic precursor compounds is chemically reduced to produce an initial metallic material, without melting the initial metallic material. The initial metallic material is consolidated to produce a consolidated metallic article, without melting the initial metallic material and without melting the consolidated metallic article.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for reducing metalliferous material to a reduction product. Also disclosed is an apparatus for reducing metalliferous material to a reduction product.

Abstract: In a method of converting slags derived from nonferrous metallurgy, in particular primary and secondary Ni and Cu metallurgical slags, while recovering and/or enriching the nonferrous metals and forming synthetic puzzolans, the molten oxidic slags are reduced with gases containing H2 and CO such as, e.g., cracked gas in a first reduction stage above a metal bath containing Cu and/or Ni and optionally Co. The redox potential of the CO/H2 mixture is reduced by adding 10 to 40% by volume H2O vapor and/or CO2 in order to hold off the reduction of Fe oxides. Subsequently, the remaining slag free of Cu and Ni is further reduced above an iron bath while using carbon in order to reduce the portion of Fe oxides so as to produce a slag free of Fe and nonferrous heavy metals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing cobalt metals by reducing cobalt oxides with ammonia or nitrogen/hydrogen gas mixtures. In accordance with the present invention, a cobalt metal is economically prepared by reacting a cobalt oxide with a nitrogen reductant at a temperature of 300 to 550.degree. C. for 3 to 7 hours, where the nitrogen reductant is injected into a reactor containing the cobalt oxide at a flow rate of 300 to 700 cc/min, preferably 500 cc/min per 1 g of cobalt oxide, while continuously elevating the temperature of the reactor at a rate of 3 to 7.degree. C./min, most preferably 5.degree. C./min.

Abstract: A process for recovering valuable components of a residue from a stream of used catalyst, discharged from a plant for the liquid-phase, homogeneously catalyzed oxidation of alkylaromatic compounds under pressure, to produce polycarboxylic aromatic acids. The residue containing mainly cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn) compounds is injected into a molten metal bath in combination with enough oxygen gas to convert essentially all carbon in the residue mainly to CO. The residue may also be sludge from a pond in which the residue is stored. The Co content of the molten metal is determined by how much of the Mn in the residue is to be rejected from the molten metal. The Mn rejected is distributed between a slag overlying the molten metal and the effluent which leaves the bath. In the slag, the Mn is trapped as manganese oxide (MnO); in the effluent Mn leaves as manganese dibromide (MnBr.sub.2).

Abstract: A method of recovering metals and producing a secondary slag from base metal smelter slag produced by a copper or nickel smelter includes mixing the smelter slag with at least one reducing agent selected from the group consisting of carbon and aluminum, said carbon (if present) being from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the slag and said aluminum (if present) being from about 5 to about 30% by weight of the slag, and with from zero to about 60% calcium oxide by weight of the slag. The mixture is heated above the eutectic melting point thereof directly and to ignition temperature aluminothermically (if aluminum is present as reducing agent) to reduce the iron silicate to ferrosilicon containing substantially all the copper, nickel and cobalt which was in the smelter slag and form a secondary slag comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium silicate, calcium aluminate and calcium iron aluminum silicate. The ferrosilicon is then separated from the secondary slag.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for forming metallized iron by direct reduction of particulate iron oxide is disclosed. Spent reducing gas is recycled from the reduction furnace through a cooler-scrubber and a catalyst-containing stoichiometric gas reformer. Upon removing the process gas from the cooler-scrubber, it is contacted with a chlorine dioxide spray, then compressed and cooled, the sulfur compound removed, and the process gas recycled either into the furnace cooling zone, or directly into the reformer, or divided and directed into both uses. Thus, most of the sulfur containing components of the spent reducing gas are removed, thereby reducing the sulfur contamination of the gas reformer catalyst. Reducing sulfur contamination of the gas reformer catalyst improves the overall efficiency of the direct reduction process. Either high sulfur ores, or high sulfur process gas, or both can be utilized in the invented process.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for forming metallized iron by direct reduction of particulate iron oxide is disclosed. Spent reducing gas is recycled from the reduction furnace through a cooler-scrubber and a catalyst-containing stoichiometric gas reformer. Upon removing the process gas from the cooler-scrubber, it is contacted with a chlorine dioxide spray, then compressed and cooled, the sulfur compound removed, and the process gas recycled either into the furnace cooling zone, or directly into the reformer, or divided and directed into both uses. Thus, most of the sulfur containing components of the spent reducing gas are removed, thereby reducing the sulfur contamination of the gas reformer catalyst. Reducing sulfur contamination of the gas reformer catalyst improves the overall efficiency of the direct reduction process.

Abstract: In situ formation of metal-ceramic oxide microstructures is carried out on a starting oxide phase containing at least a most noble metallic component (e.g., iron) and a least noble metallic component (e.g. manganese) and subjecting the starting oxide phase to a temperature and oxygen partial pressure and for a time period to cause reduction of only part of the most noble metallic component to elemental metal.