............FRGBGR................................J0643147EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATIONA319950503EP94306256.219940824enenen93305519930830ZA19950503199518199503151995116 6C 22C 33/04 AdeVerfahren zur Herstellung von Ferronickel aus nickelhaltigen LateritenenThe production of ferronickel from nickel containing lateritefrProcédé d'élaboration de ferronickel à partir de latérites nickelifèreNONEMINTEK01281970E 370 11 RTT200 Hans Strijdom AvenueRandburg, Transvaal ProvinceZALagendijk, Herman61 Honey Street, BereaJohannesburg, TransvaalZASmith, PeterRua Laerte Assuncao 396Jardim Paulistano, Sao PauloBRSchoukens, Albert Francois Simon7 Magnolia PlaceWeltevreden Park, TransvaalZABlom, Peter William EnnisNo.5 Loftus Street,Noordkruin, 1739 KrugersdorpZAThomas, Roger Tamlynet al00036671D. Young & Co. 21 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1DAGBFRGBGR19950503199518

A process for the production of ferronickel from nickel containing laterite is provided wherein the laterite includes at least a proportion of relatively fine material of size less than 10mm. The feed material may also be composed substantially or entirely of laterite fines or dust and also partially treated dust arising from conventional treatment routes, and may be pre-reduced, optionally after drying. The laterite is fed to the central region of the molten bath of a circular furnace in which at least one electrode in the roof acts as cathode, and the molten bath itself acts as anode. The process can be used to economically treat fine laterite ore previously discarded and stockpiled and even formerly non-viable deposits of laterite, and fines or dust arising from conventional treatment plants.