Seyedehmaryam Sadeghi, Brecht Dewulf, Clara Vermoere, Rayco Lommelen, Stylianos Tampouris*, Koen Binnemans of the Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven and *General Mining and Metallurgical Company, Greece, have a new poster presentation from the recent ICHS2024 Symposium entitled Ni/Co recovery from ferronickel (FeNi) ores using an HCl-based route. This research is part of the ongoing ENICON EU project

The Horizon Europe-funded ENICON project proposes an innovative HCl-based processing method to ensure a sustainable supply of battery materials in Europe. This project applies the principles of “Circular Hydrometallurgy” to minimize environmental impact and valorizes domestic European Ni and Co resources by converting Ni/Co ores, intermediates, and tailings into battery-grade metal salts, thereby enhancing the sustainability of the Ni/Co supply chain. Ferronickel (FeNi), also known as Class-II Ni, is mainly used in the steel industry, and could be an alternative source for the production of battery-grade nickel (Class-I Ni). FeNi is produced by pyrometallurgical processing of nickeliferous laterite ores and has a Ni content of around 20%

Reference

Ni/Co recovery from ferronickel (FeNi) ores using an HCl-based route