Sustainable nickel enabled by hydrogen-based reduction

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Manzoor, U.; Roncery, L. Mujica; Raabe, D.; Souza Filho, I. R.
• 署名单位: Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia (UPTC); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - Institute of Chemistry (INC); Universite de Lorraine
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-1164
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08901-7
• 发表日期: 2025-05-08
• 关键词: laterite; ferronickel; mineralogy; energy

摘要

Nickel is a critical element in the shift to sustainable energy systems, with the demand for nickel projected to exceed 6 million tons annually by 2040(1, 2, 3-4), largely driven by the electrification of the transport sector. Primary nickel production uses acids and carbon-based reductants, emitting about 20 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of nickel produced(5, 6-7). Here we present a method using fossil-free hydrogen-plasma-based reduction to extract nickel from low-grade ore variants known as laterites. We bypass the traditional multistep process and combine calcination, smelting, reduction and refining into a single metallurgical step conducted in one furnace. This approach produces high-grade ferronickel alloys at fast reduction kinetics. Thermodynamic control of the atmosphere of the furnace enables selective nickel reduction, yielding an alloy with minimal impurities (<0.04 wt% silicon, approximately 0.01 wt% phosphorus and <0.09 wt% calcium), eliminating the need for further refining. The proposed method has the potential to be up to about 18% more energy efficient while cutting direct carbon dioxide emissions by up to 84% compared with current practice. Our work thus shows a sustainable approach to help resolve the contradiction between the beneficial use of nickel in sustainable energy technologies and the environmental harm caused by its production.