Patent 7563421 was granted and assigned to Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. on July, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A hydrometallurgical process based on pressure leaching at elevated temperature for recovering nickel from nickel oxide ores, characterized by a simplified and efficient process as a whole, realizing a simplified leaching stage, reduced neutralizer consumption and precipitate production in the neutralization stage, and efficient use of recycled water.