PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF NICKEL AND COBALT USING METAL HYDROXIDE, METAL OXIDE AND/OR METAL CARBONATE

A method for producing metal oxide from a metal salt selected from nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate and combinations thereof includes providing a mixture of the metal salt, mixing the metal salt with a binder selected from the group consisting of inorganic binder, organic binder and combinations thereof, forming the mixture into agglomerates, and calcining the agglomerates to produce metal oxide. A method for making metallic nickel or cobalt includes providing a metal salt selected from the group consisting of nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate and combinations thereof, mixing the metal salt with a binder selected from the group consisting of inorganic binder, organic binder and combinations thereof to form a mixture, optionally adding water, forming the mixture into agglomerates, drying the agglomerates, adding an effective reducing amount of coke and/or coal and directly reducing the dried agglomerates with an effective amount of heat to produce metallic nickel and/or cobalt. Coke particles may be added to the mixture prior to agglomeration. An agglomerate includes a metal salt selected from the group consisting of nickel hydroxide, cobalt hydroxide, mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide, nickel carbonate, cobalt carbonate, mixed nickel-cobalt carbonate and combinations thereof; and a binder selected from the group consisting of inorganic binder, organic binder and combinations thereof.