Pyrometallurgical Methods for Processing Lateritic Nickel Ores and Evaluation of Their Application for Processing Nickel Ores in Kazakhstan: A Review

The depletion of global reserves of high-quality sulfide nickel deposits, coupled with the steady growth of nickel demand, has led to increased interest in the processing of oxidized (lateritic) nickel ores, including deposits with significant resource potential in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This paper provides an overview of global nickel ore reserves and their distribution, as well as the major nickel deposits in Kazakhstan, which are primarily located in the Aktobe, East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, and Pavlodar regions. Pyrometallurgical processing routes for lateritic nickel ores are also considered. Conventional production technologies, including the Rotary Kiln–Electric Furnace (RKEF), Krupp–Renn process, blast furnace smelting, Vaniukov process, and ISASMELT process, are reviewed, and their process flow diagrams are presented. These methods typically process lateritic nickel ores containing more than 1.2% Ni, whereas Kazakhstan ores are characterized by lower nickel grades, generally in the range of 0.75–1.1%. The advantages and limitations of conventional processing routes are analyzed, and the factors limiting the effective beneficiation of lateritic nickel ores using traditional methods are identified. The present study substantiates the feasibility of producing nickel-containing alloys from lateritic nickel ores using a metallothermic reduction approach.