Gipronickel Institute Ltd

P. S. Seregin, Senior Research Officer, Laboratory of Pyrometallurgy, e-mail: PSSer@nikel.spb.su

The article presents the results of a long-term scientific and pilot-plant work on the development and implementation of a new technology on the production of an active nickel powder used on the stage of nickel electrolyte cleaning from copper. There are given the descriptions of all principal stages of work, the major of them being the following:
— study of the mechanism of the solid phase reduction of nickel cinder;
— study of the reduction ability of different types of solid reduction agents;
— selection of an optimum solid reduction agent for the process of a solid phase reduction of nickel cinder;
— commercial testing of different types of solid reduction agents in a tube-type furnaces;
— study of oxidizing roasting parameters on the process of nickel cinder reduction in a tube-type furnace;
— study of cementation activity of nickel powder’ different fractions;
— selection of optimal technological regime for active powder production in tube-type furnaces;
— reconstruction of operating tube-type furnaces aimed on production of nickel powder with maximal degree of metallization;
— commercial testing of active powder on the stage of anolyte cleaning from copper.
The article points to the personal contribution of the large team of Kola MMC and of the Gipronickel Institute as they participated in the work on its different stages. A perfect combination of a scientific base, practical technical decisions and commercial implementation made it possible for Kola MMC to start in 2005 active nickel powder production under new technology. Beside that the developed technology appeared to be patentable and it finalized with the Russian Federation patent receiving.

1. Lyumkis S. E., Chermak L. L., Kagan A. S. Puti povysheniya aktivnosti nikelevogo poroshka. Ways of increasing nickel powder activity. Byul. TsIINtsvetmet. Bulletin of the Central Institute of Information in Non-Ferrous Metallurgy. 1960. No. 11.

2. Sukhov M. N., Bryndin V. G., Svechnikov G. S. Razrabotka protsessov i apparatov dlya vosstanovleniya zakisi nikelya v kipyashchem sloe (Development of Processes and Devices for Nickel Oxide Recovery in a Fluidized Bed). Norilsk, 1963.

3. Izerbakh Yu. F., Sidak N. A. Proizvodstvo gazovogo nikelevogo poroshka vysokoy aktivnosti (Production of High-activity Gaseous Nickel Powder). Norilsk, 1965.

4. Lapin Yu. D., Sukhov M. N. Vosstanovlenie zakisi nikelya generatornym gazom v kipyashchem sloe (Nickel Oxide Recovery by Producer Gas in a Fluidized Bed). Moscow, 1965.

5. Shamro E. A., Vyazmin O. A., Evlanov S. F. and etc. Kinetika protsessa gazovogo vosstanovleniya promyshlennoy zakisi nikelya v kipyashchem sloe. Kinetics of industrial nickel oxide gas recovery in a fluidized bed. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 1970. No. 12.

6. Astafyev A. F., Denisov Yu. S. Polupromyshlennye ispytaniya vosstanovleniya zakisi nikelya zhidkim toplivom v kipyashchem sloe. Semiindustrial testing of the nickel oxide recovery by liquid fuel in a fluidized bed. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 1980. No. 6.

7. Astafyev A. F., Esipenko B. S. Opytno-promyshlennye ispytaniya vosstanovleniya zakisi nikelya zhidkim toplivom. Pilot testing of the nickel oxide recovery by liquid fuel. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 1980. No. 12.

8. Tatosyan E. K., Bryukvin V. A., Vinetskaya T. N. Otsenka aktivnosti nikelevykh poroshkov. Estimation of nickel powders’ activity. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 1993. No. 5.

9. Danilov M. P., Gladkov A. S., Nazmutdinov Sh. G., Greyver M. B., Negrey N. V. Poluchenie aktivnogo nikelevogo poroshka v trubchatoy pechi. Active nickel powder obtainment in the tube furnace. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 1998. No. 10/11.

10. Baykov A. A. Sobranie trudov (Collection of Transactions). Moscow, 1948.

11. Geld P. V., Esin O. A. Protsessy vysokotemperaturnogo vosstanovleniya (Processes of High-temperature Recovering). Sverdlovsk, 1957.

12. Rostovtsev S. T. Teoriya metallurgicheskikh protsessov (Theory of Metallurgical Processes). Moscow, 1956.

13. Chufarov G. I., Tatievskaya E. P. Adsorbtsionno-kineticheskaya teoriya vosstanovleniya oksidov metallov (Adsorption Kinetic Theory of the Metal Oxides Reduction). Moscow, 1953.

14. Chufarov G. I., Zhuravleva M. G., Balakirev V. F. Sostoyanie teorii vosstanovleniya metallov (State of Metals Reduction Theory). Moscow, 1970.

15. Chufarov G. I., Men A. N., Balakirev V. F. Termodinamika protsessov vosstanovleniya oksidov metallov (Thermodynamics of Metal Oxides Reduction Processes). Moscow, 1970.

16. Vorontsov E. S. Issledovanie mekhanizma, kinetiki i kataliza reaktsii vosstanovleniya (Study of Mechanism, Kinetics and Catalysis of the Reduction Reaction). Chelyabinsk, 1970.

17. Bondarenko B. I. Vosstanovlenie okislov metallov v slozhnykh gazovykh sistemakh (Metal Oxides Reduction in the Complicated Gas Systems). Kiev, 1980.

18. Vorontsov E. S. Mekhanizm zarozhdeniya i rosta novoy fazy pri vosstanovlenii metallov iz oksidov gazoobraznymi vosstanovitelyami (Mechanism of a New Phase Initiation and Growth in the Recovery of Metals from Oxides with Gaseous Reducing Agents). Chelyabinsk, 1971.

19. Vorontsov E. S. Issledovanie mekhanizma, kinetiki i kataliza reaktsii vosstanovleniya (Study of Mechanism, Kinetics and Catalysis of the Reduction Reaction). Chelyabinsk, 1970.

20. Devidson I. F., Kharrison D. Psevdoozhizhenie tverdykh chastits (Fluidization of Solid particles). Moscow, 1965.

21. Pushkarev V. A. Vliyanie struktury okisla i obrazuyushchegosya metalla na predel techeniya reaktsii gazovogo vosstanovleniya v khimicheskom rezhime (Influence of the Structure of Oxide and the Formed Metal on the Gaseous Reduction Limit in Chemical Mode). Moscow, 1970.

22. Vorontsov E. S., Mikhaylov G. G., Pashkeev I. Yu. Yavlenie impedansa v reaktsiyakh kosvennogo vosstanovleniya metallov iz oksidov (Impedance Phenomenon in the Reactions of Indirect Metals Reduction from Oxides). Moscow, 1970.

23. Esin O. A., Geld P. V. Fizicheskaya khimiya pirometallurgicheskikh protsessov (Physical Chemistry of Pyrometallurgical Processes). Moscow, 1950.

24. Rudenko L. N., Simonov V. K., Rostovtsev S. T. Metodika issledovaniya kompleksnogo vosstanovleniya rudnykh materialov (A Technique for Investigation of Complex Reduction of Ore Materials). Moscow, 1974.

25. Rudenko L. N., Simonov V. K., Lagunov Yu. V. Kinetika vosstanovleniya zheleza rudnoy chasti boksita (Kinetics of Iron Reduction of the Ore Part of Bauxite). — Moscow, 1977.

26. Samsonov G. V., Zhunkovskiy G. L. Nekotorye osobennosti nachalnoy stadii karbidizatsii v srede okisi ugleroda (Some Specifics of the Initial Stage of Carbidization in the Environment of Carbon Monoxide). Moscow, 1967.

27. Bogdandi L. F., Engel G. Yu. Vosstanovlenie zheleznykh rud (Reduction of Iron Ores). Moscow, 1971.

28. Veselov V. V., Dorokhovich V. P. Vosstanovlenie okislov metallov gruppy zhelezametanom (Reduction of Metal Oxides of Iron Group with Methane). Moscow, 1970.

29. Tolstykh A. N., Miroevskiy G. P., Popov I. O., Seregin P. S., Ertseva L. N., Tsemekhman L. Sh. Zhurn. prikl. khimii. Journal of Applied chemistry. 2000. Vol. 73. Issue. 11. pp. 1781–1785.

30. Seregin P. S., Tolstykh A. N., Tsemekhman L. Sh. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 2002. No. 12. pp. 19–22.

31. Seregin P. S., Besedovskiy S. G. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 2004. No. 12. pp. 55–59.

32. Seregin P. S. Vybor effektivnogo tverdogo vosstanovitelya dlya trubchatykh pechey (Choosing an effective solid reducing agent for the tube furnaces). Fizicheskaya khimiya i tekhnologiya v metallurgii. Mezhdunarodnaya nauchno-prakticheskaya konferentsiya «Nauchnye osnovy i praktika pererabotki rud i tekhnogennogo syrya» (Physical Chemistry and Technology in Metallurgy. International Scientific and Practical Conference «Scientific Fundamentals and Practice of Ores and Technogeneous Raw Material Processing»). Ekaterinburg, 2005.

33. Seregin P. S. Promyshlennye ispytaniya podachi mazuta v kachestve vosstanovitelya v trubchatye pechi kombinata «Severonikel» (Industrial testing of fuel oil supply as a reducing agent to the tube furnaces of «Severonikel» combine). Saint Petersburg, 2009. 9 pp.

34. Seregin P. S. Promyshlennye ispytaniya slabospekayushchegosya uglya Kuznetskogo ugolnogo basseyna v kachestve vosstanovitelya na trubchatykh pechakh kombinata «Severonikel» (Industrial testing of Kuznetsk coal basin low-caking coal as a reducing agent in tube furnaces of «Severonikel» combine). Saint Petersburg, 2009. 23 pp.

35. Seregin P. S. Promyshlennye ispytaniya nizkozolnogo uglya Bachatskogo razreza (OAO «Kuzbassrazrezugol») na trubchatykh pechakh kombinata «Severonikel» (Industrial testing of Bachatskij section low-ash coal (JSC «Kuzbassrazrezugol») in tube furnaces of «Severonikel» combine). Saint Petersburg, 2009. 20 pp.

36. Seregin P. S. Promyshlennye ispytaniya antratsita (OAO «Gukovugol») v kachestve vosstanovitelya na trubchatykh pechakh kombinata «Severonikel» (Industrial testing of anthracite (JSC «Gukovugol») as a reducing agent in tube furnaces of «Severonikel» combine). Saint Petersburg, 2009. 15 pp.

37. Seregin P. S. Promyshlennye ispytaniya po otrabotke rezhimov polucheniya aktivnoy fraktsii nikelevogo poroshka v trubchatykh pechakh kombinata «Severonikel» (Industrial testing for try-out modes of the nickel powder active fraction production in tube furnaces of «Severonikel» combine). Saint Petersburg, 2009. 13 pp.

38. Seregin P. S. Tsvetnye metally. Non-ferrous metals. 2009. No. 9. pp. 49–55.

39. Seregin P. S., Tsemekhman L. Sh., Staroverov D. G. Issledovanie tsementatsionnoy aktivnosti razlichnykh fraktsiy nikelevogo poroshka trubchatykh pechey. Study of cementing activity of various fractions of tube furnaces nickel powder. Tsvetnaya metallurgiya. Non-ferrous metallurgy. 2010. No. 11.

40. Seryogin P. S. Sohn International Symposium. 2006. Vol. 5. pp. 485–495.

41. Seregin P. S. Poluchenie gluboko vosstanovlennogo nikelevogo poroshka v trubchatykh pechakh. Obtainment of the profoundly reduced nickel powder in tube furnaces. 90 let v tsvetnoy metallurgii. Pod obshch. red. A. V. Tarasova : sb. nauch. tr. FGUP «Institut «Gintsvetmet». 90 years in non-ferrous metallurgy. Ed. by A. V. Tarasov. Collected proceedings of the «Gintsvetmet» Institute. Moscow, 2008.

42. Patent 2359049 RF. Sposob polucheniya aktivnogo nikelevogo poroshka. Method of the active nickel powder obtainment. Demidov K. A., Besedovskiy P. G., Kozyrev V. F. and etc. ; Asserted 18.06. 07; published. 20. 06.09, Bulletin. No. 17.