Atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursors that are useful for forming metal-containing films are provided. These compounds include triazapentadienyl, -imino enolate compounds and -imino ketone compounds having formulae 1, 2, and 3, respectively. An ALD method using the precursors is also provided.

A method for smelting a nickel oxide ore, wherein the reduction step progresses effectively while maintaining the strength of the pellets, comprises: a pellet production step S1 for producing pellets from a nickel oxide ore; and a reduction step S2 for reducing and heating the obtained pellets in a smelting furnace at a predetermined reduction temperature. In the pellet production step S1, a mixture is formed by mixing materials including said nickel oxide ore without mixing a carbonaceous reducing agent, and the pellets are formed by agglomerating said mixture. In the reduction step S2, in charging the obtained pellets into the smelting furnace, a carbonaceous reducing agent is spread in advance over the furnace floor of the smelting furnace and the pellets are placed on the carbonaceous reducing agent, and the pellets are reduced and heated in a state where the pellets are covered by the carbonaceous reducing agent.

Provided is a method of producing high-purity nickel sulfate by an impurity-element removal method for selectively removing Mg from a Ni-containing solution. The method comprises a production process of producing nickel sulfate from a Ni-containing acid solution, the acid solution being treated in order of steps (1) to (3): (1) carbonation step, adding a carbonating agent into the Ni-containing solution to make Ni contained in the Ni-containing solution into a precipitate of nickel carbonate or a mixture of nickel carbonate and nickel hydroxide, thereby forming a slurry after carbonation including the precipitate and a solution after carbonation; (2) solid-liquid separation step, separating the slurry after carbonation formed in the carbonation step into the precipitate and the solution after carbonation; and (3) neutralization step, adding a neutralizing agent into the solution after carbonation separated through the solid-liquid separation step to recover Ni contained in the solution after carbonation as a Ni-precipitate.

A method of producing a cathode material precursor having low levels of Cu impurities is described. Heat treating a black mass from a recycled lithium-ion battery stream, wherein the black mass comprises copper metal and cathode material comprising nickel, followed by leaching of the heat-treated black mass with an aqueous acid forms an acidic aqueous leach solution comprising nickel metal, cathode metal salts, and copper salts. The copper salts have been found to react with the nickel metal in the aqueous leach solution to form copper metal, which can be readily removed from the acidic aqueous leach solution. Coprecipitation of the cathode metal salts and the nickel salts form nearly Cu-free cathode material precursor.

Provided herein is a method for preparing a nickel sulfate aqueous solution, comprising: (A-i) a reduction heat treatment process for thermally treating a first raw material containing nickel and lithium; (B) a first leaching process for leaching the heat-treated product produced by the reduction heat treatment process; (A-ii) a roasting process for thermally treating a second raw material containing nickel and sulfur; (C) a second leaching process for leaching the first leaching residue produced by the first leaching process and the calcine produced by the roasting process; (D) a neutralization process for neutralizing the second leached solution produced by the second leaching process; and (E) a solvent extraction process for refining nickel in the neutralized solution produced by the neutralization process.

A slurry-transporting facility equipped with a plurality of pump-equipment circuits, whereby a stop of slurry supply to a transport destination at the time of switchover between the pump-equipment circuits for use is prevented to make an efficient operation possible. The slurry-transporting facility includes: pipe arrangements which branch out from a feed tank into the plurality of circuits; a transport pump provided in each of the pipe arrangement; a first valve provided upstream from the transport pump; a second valve provided downstream from the transport pump; and a uniting pipe arrangement formed by joining of the pipe arrangements at a predetermined position and connected to a LT heater. The uniting pipe arrangement is provided with a third valve configured to control the transportation of ore slurry to the LT heater and a pressure gauge configured to measure a pressure in the uniting pipe arrangement.

A slurry-transporting facility equipped with a plurality of pump-equipment circuits, whereby a stop of slurry supply to a transport destination at the time of switchover between the pump-equipment circuits for use is prevented to make an efficient operation possible. The slurry-transporting facility includes: pipe arrangements which branch out from a feed tank into the plurality of circuits; a transport pump provided in each of the pipe arrangement; a first valve provided upstream from the transport pump; a second valve provided downstream from the transport pump; and a uniting pipe arrangement formed by joining of the pipe arrangements at a predetermined position and connected to a LT heater. The uniting pipe arrangement is provided with a third valve configured to control the transportation of ore slurry to the LT heater and a pressure gauge configured to measure a pressure in the uniting pipe arrangement.

Provided is a hydrometallurgical process for nickel oxide ore by high pressure acid leach that achieves a high iron oxidation ratio. The carbon grade in ore slurry and the flow rate are measured to determine the amount of carbon to be fed, and then, sulfuric acid is added. The blowing ratio of high pressure air and high pressure oxygen is adjusted so as to attain an oxygen purity of 21% to 60%. While the oxygen purity is maintained, an oxygen blowing amount per weight of carbon contained in the ore slurry and fed in the second step is adjusted to 200 to 600 Nm.sup.3, whereby ORP (Ag/AgCl basis) in the leaching treatment is controlled to 400 to 650 mV.

Provided is a method for recovering valuable metals that makes it possible to efficiently recover valuable metals at a high recovery rate. The present invention is a method for recovering the valuable metal from a raw material that contains the valuable metal. This method comprises: a preparation step for preparing a raw material; a melting step for introducing the raw material into a melting furnace and heating and melting the raw material to yield an alloy and a slag; and a slag separation step for separating the slag and recovering a valuable metal-containing alloy. The redox degree is adjusted in the melting step by introducing, as a reducing agent, scrap of a wound body, the wound body being an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are wound insulated from each other by a separator and carbon is used in the negative electrode.

A process and method for producing a crystallized metal sulfate. The crystallized metal sulfate may be battery-grade. The method may comprise receiving a metal ion-containing stream and crystalizing a metal sulfate from the stream. The process may comprise receiving a stream from a metal processing plant, and crystalizing a metal sulfate from the stream. The process may be a metal electrowinning process comprising crystalizing a metal ion-containing stream to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor. The process or method may comprise returning the mother liquor upstream or to the metal electrowinning process.