A vanadium recovery process (10), the process comprising: (i) passing an ore or concentrate (12) containing vanadium, titanium and iron to a reduction step (18) forming a reduced ore or concentrate; (ii) passing the reduced ore or concentrate to a ferric leach step (22) to produce a ferric leachate (26) containing iron and a ferric leach residue (30) containing vanadium; (iii) passing the ferric leachate (26) to a ferric oxidation step (28) producing an iron product (68); (iv) passing the ferric leach residue (30) to an acid leach step (32) producing an acid leachate (44) containing vanadium and an acid leach residue (36) containing titanium; (v) Passing the acid leachate (44) to a vanadium recovery step (46, 48) from which a vanadium product is produced; and (vi) Passing the acid leach residue (36) to a titanium pigment production process (42) whereby a titanium dioxide pigment is produced.

The present invention addresses the problem, in methods for producing a metal or alloy by reducing a mixture that contains an oxide ore, of providing an oxide ore smelting method with good productivity and efficiency. The present invention is an oxide ore smelting method for producing a metal or alloy by reducing a mixture that contains an oxide ore, the method comprising at least: a mixing step S1 for mixing an oxide ore with a carbonaceous reducing agent; a mixture-molding step S2 for molding the mixture obtained to obtain a mixture-molded body; and a reducing step S3 for heating the mixture-molded body obtained at a specified reducing temperature in a reducing furnace.

The present invention addresses the problem, in methods for producing a metal or alloy by reducing a mixture that contains an oxide ore, of providing an oxide ore smelting method with good productivity and efficiency. The present invention is an oxide ore smelting method for producing a metal or alloy by reducing a mixture that contains an oxide ore, the method comprising at least: a mixing step S1 for mixing an oxide ore with a carbonaceous reducing agent; a mixture-molding step S2 for molding the mixture obtained to obtain a mixture-molded body; and a reducing step S3 for heating the mixture-molded body obtained at a specified reducing temperature in a reducing furnace.

Provided is a smelting method for producing metal by reducing a mixture that includes an oxide ore such as nickel oxide ore, wherein it is possible to improve productivity by raising the metal recovery rate as well as to inexpensively and efficiently produce high-quality metal. The present invention is a smelting method in which: an oxide ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent are mixed; the resulting mixture is heated and subjected to a reduction treatment; and metal and slag, which are reduction products, are obtained, wherein the reduction treatment is carried out in a state in which one or more surface deposits selected from carbonaceous reducing agents, metal oxides, and oxidation inhibitors are deposited on the surface of the mixture.

Provided is a smelting method for producing metal by reducing a mixture that includes an oxide ore such as nickel oxide ore, wherein it is possible to improve productivity by raising the metal recovery rate as well as to inexpensively and efficiently produce high-quality metal. The present invention is a smelting method in which: an oxide ore and a carbonaceous reducing agent are mixed; the resulting mixture is heated and subjected to a reduction treatment; and metal and slag, which are reduction products, are obtained, wherein the reduction treatment is carried out in a state in which one or more surface deposits selected from carbonaceous reducing agents, metal oxides, and oxidation inhibitors are deposited on the surface of the mixture.

A continuous process provides direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state. Briquettes of iron ore fragments and biomass are transported through a preheating chamber and preheated to a temperature of at least 400° C. The preheated briquettes are transported through a heating/reduction chamber that has an anoxic environment, and iron ore and biomass in the briquettes are exposed to electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy under anoxic conditions. Microwave energy generates heat within iron ore, and biomass acts as a reductant and reduces iron ore in a solid state, as the briquettes move through the heating/reduction chamber.

A continuous process provides direct reduction of iron ore in a solid state. Briquettes of iron ore fragments and biomass are transported through a preheating chamber and preheated to a temperature of at least 400° C. The preheated briquettes are transported through a heating/reduction chamber that has an anoxic environment, and iron ore and biomass in the briquettes are exposed to electromagnetic energy in the form of microwave energy under anoxic conditions. Microwave energy generates heat within iron ore, and biomass acts as a reductant and reduces iron ore in a solid state, as the briquettes move through the heating/reduction chamber.

Method for recovering Cr from a pickling bath of an aqueous solution containing sulphate and Cr from a pickled metal, the method including: -forming an aqueous two-phase system from a portion of the pickling bath and a polymer including an unhindered ether function, the proportion of polymer in the ternary mixture including the pickling bath, considered to be a unique chemical component, water and polymer, ranging between the line of the equation «weight % of polymer=100%−weight % of pickling bath» and the binodal curve of the pickling bath/polymer mixture, the two-phase aqueous system including polymer and non-polymer phases;—separating the respective phases;—allowing precipitates containing Cr to form in the polymer phase;—carrying out solid/liquid separation of the polymer phase to separate the polymer and the precipitates containing Cr;—and processing the precipitates to recover the Cr. A facility is also disclosed.

The purpose is to provide a method for recovering a valuable metal at low cost. The present invention is a method for recovering a valuable metal, the method comprising a step of preparing a burden material containing at least a valuable metal to obtain a raw material, a step of subjecting the raw material to an oxidation treatment and a reductive melting treatment to produce a reduced product containing an alloy and a slag, and a step of separating the slag from the reduced product to collect the alloy, in which the copper grade, which is a ratio of the mass of copper (Cu) to the total mass of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and copper (Cu) contained in the alloy (i.e., a Cu/(Ni+Co+Cu) ratio), is adjusted to 0.250 or more.

The purpose is to provide a method for recovering a valuable metal at low cost. The present invention is a method for recovering a valuable metal, the method comprising a step of preparing a burden material containing at least a valuable metal to obtain a raw material, a step of subjecting the raw material to an oxidation treatment and a reductive melting treatment to produce a reduced product containing an alloy and a slag, and a step of separating the slag from the reduced product to collect the alloy, in which the copper grade, which is a ratio of the mass of copper (Cu) to the total mass of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and copper (Cu) contained in the alloy (i.e., a Cu/(Ni+Co+Cu) ratio), is adjusted to 0.250 or more.