Method for the production of high purity dense nickel oxide and the product thereof

Claim 2

AS A NEW ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, AN ACTIVE BLACK NICKEL OXIDE HAVING AN OXYGEN CONTENT AT LEAST ABOUT 1 ATOMIC PERCENT AND UP TO ABOUT 5 ATOIC PERCENT OXYGEN IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT REQUIRED TO SATISFY THE STOICHIOMETRIC RATIO EXPRESSED BY THE FORMULA NIO AND BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A PACKED BULK DENSITY OF AT LEAST 90 TO ABOUT 200 POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT, BY AN IMPURITIES CONTENT LESS THAN 0.5%, BY A PARTICLE SIZE SUCH THAT THE PRODUCT WILL PASS A 325 MESH SCREEN ALMOST ENTIRELY BUT ABOUT 70% OF THE PARTICLES ARE GREATER THAN 10 MICRONS AND BY SUBSTANTIALLY 100% SOLUBILITY IN MINERAL ACIDS.

Claim 3

THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A READILY FILTERABLE NICKEL CARBONATE PRECIPITATE FROM AN AMMONIACAL NICKEL CARBONATE SOLUTION CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 10 AND UP TO ABOUT 60 GRAMS PER LITER OF NICKEL WHICH COMPRISES HEATING SAID SOLUTION IN THE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF ABOUT 170*F. TO ABOUT 250*F. TO DRIVE OFF AMMONIA AND CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINED THEREIN AND PRECIPITATING NICKEL THERE FROM AT A CONTROLLED PRECIPITATION RATE OF ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 2 GRAMS OF NICKEL PER LITER PER MINUTE TO PRECIPITATE AT LEAST ABOUT 70% UP TO ABOUT 99% OF THE NICKEL CONTENT OF SAID SOLUTION AS A READILY FILTERABLE NICKEL CARBONATE CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 7% CARBON DIOXIDE.

Claim 4

THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A READILY FILTERABLE NICKEL CARBONATE PRECIPITATE FROM AN AMMONIACAL NICKEL CARBONATE SOLUTION CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 10 AND UP TO ABOUT 60 GRAMS PER LITER OF NICKEL WHICH COMPRISES HEATING SAID SOLUTION IN THE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF ABOUT 170*F. TO ABOUT 250*F. TO DRIVE OFF AMMONIA AND CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINED THEREIN AND PRECIPITATING NICKEL THERE FROM AT A CONTROLLED PRECIPITATION RATE OF ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 2 GRAMS OF NICKEL PER LITER PER MINUTE TO PRECIPITATE AT LEAST ABOUT 70% UP TO ABOUT 99% OF THE NICKEL CONTENT OF SAID SOLUTION AS A READILY FILTERABLE NICKEL CARBONATE CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 7% CARBON DIOXIDE.