Jinchuan Group, China's largest nickel mining and refining company, recently commissioned the world's fourth carbonyl nickel refinery with a design capacity of 10,000 metric tons of carbonyl nickel products. This paper will review the production process in which nickel carbonyl gas is synthesized by reacting impure nickel metallics with carbon monoxide inside a carbonylation reactor at an intermediate pressure, followed by distillation to further purify the nickel carbonyl gas prior to final decomposition into nickel powders, nickel pellets and ferronickel powders. The new refinery produces a range of nickel powder products suitable for applications in powder metallurgy, battery and fuel cell electrodes, electronic components, chemicals and catalysts. Comparison of physical and chemical properties of Jinchuan's nickel powders to existing products will be reviewed. Also discussed will be Jmchuan's ongoing research efforts to develop new forms of nickel powders.
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