Melting of oxidized nickel ores in a barbotage unit: I. Thermodynamic analysis of melting

The possibility of effective processing of oxidized nickel ores (ONOs) to form ferronickel in a barbotage unit (Vanyukov furnace for liquid bath melting (LBM)) is theoretically corroborated. The heat balances of the LBM processing of unreduced ONOs or the cinder preliminarily reduced in tubular kilns to form ferronickel are calculated. It is shown that deep reduction of ONOs and melting of the reduced cinder are energetically more favorable than direct melting of a slightly dried ore to form ferronickel. The proposed twostage scheme of processing of ONOs makes it possible to decrease the furnace area and the effluent gas flow. Parallel reduction and oxidation processes in the same region of a bubbled slag melt during direct melting of unreduced ore is debatable.