Nickel is a key element in batteries, among other things. However, its production causes high CO₂ emissions—at least until now.
Ubaid Manzoor, lead author of the Nature publication, at the electric arc furnace with which he reduces low-grade nickel ores using hydrogen plasma.
Yasmin Ahmed Salem | Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien GmbH
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf have developed a CO₂-free process that extracts nickel from low-grade ores. The team led by doctoral student Ubaid Manzoor and Prof. Isnaldi Souza Filho relies on reduction with hydrogen plasma in a single process step. This is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions, including extraction and transport, by up to 84%, while increasing energy efficiency by up to 18%.
The new process uses an electric arc furnace in which the complex structure of the minerals is converted into simpler ions without the use of catalysts. According to a publication in the special interest magazine Nature, this allows even low-grade ores that were previously difficult to process to be processed efficiently. These account for around 60% of global nickel deposits and were previously considered economically unattractive.
Proven Processes for Scaling
For industrial scaling, the researchers are relying on proven processes such as high-current arcs, electromagnetic stirring systems, and gas pulses to ensure a continuous reaction. This could enable the technology to be quickly integrated into existing production processes.
In addition to its use as ferronickel for stainless steel production, the product can also be processed into high-purity nickel for batteries or high-performance magnets. The slag produced during the process can be reused in construction, for example. The process can also be transferred to other strategically important metals such as cobalt.
This is a partly automated translation of this german article.
