Process for the hydrometallurgical precipitation of nickel and cobalt

Claim 1

IN THE HYDROMETALLURGICAL PRECIPITATION OF METAL POWER BY TREATING AN AMMONIACAL, AMMONIUM SALT SOLUTIONS OF DISSOLVED METAL SALT WITH HYDROGEN AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURES, SAID METAL BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL AND COBALT, THE IMPROVED LOW TEMPERATURE REDUCTION TO PRODUCE METAL POWDER WHICH COMPRISES: ADJUSTING SAID SOLUTION TO CONTAIN AN NH3 CONTENT SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE IN A BASIC SOLUTION OF AT LEAST PH 8 METAL AMNES OF THE DISSOLVED METAL IN WHICH THE RATIO OF MOLS OF NH3 TO ATOMS OF METAL IS AT LEAST ABOUT 1.7, ADDING THEREOF AT LEAST 0.1 G./1. OF A SOLUBLE SALT OF AN ADDING POLYVALENT METAL HAVING AN ATOMIC NUMBER FROM 22-24 INCLUSIVE, SAID METAL BEING IN A LOWER VALENT STATE; AT ABOVE ABOUT 50*C., SUBJECTING RESULTANT TO PRESSURE WITH SUFFICIENT HYDROGEN GAS TO PRODUCE AT REDUCTION TEMPERATURE A POSITIVE PARTIAL OVERPRESSURE; WITH AGITATION, MAINTAINING SO TREATED LIQUOR AT A REDUCTION TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 100*C., UNDER SAID PRESSURE UNTIL PRECIPITATION SUBSTANTIALLY CEASES.