Utilisation of biomass waste as a reductant in the smelting of saprolitic nickel ore using a DC-arc furnace.

This article investigates the use of biomass charcoal from rubber wood, coconut shell, corn cob, and palm kernel shell as reductants in the smelting of saprolitic nickel laterite ore to produce ferronickel, comparing their performance with conventional fossil fuels like coke and coal. Experiments conducted in a direct current (DC) arc furnace showed that corn cob charcoal and palm kernel shell charcoal achieved nickel grades above 12% and recoveries over 90%, comparable to coke, while producing similar slag phases dominated by diopside with low melting points. Biomass reductants exhibited higher carbon reactivity, resulting in slightly lower nickel recovery and grade than coke but yielded ferronickel with lower carbon content, which may benefit subsequent stainless steel production by easing decarburization. The study suggests that corn cob and palm kernel shell charcoals are promising sustainable alternatives to fossil reductants in nickel laterite smelting, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.