Abstract：Nickel is one of main alloying elements in the production of stainless steel. With the shortage of nickel sulfide ore resources and the increasing demand for nickel, using laterite nickel ore in a green and efficient way is of great practical significance to the sustainable development of stainless steel industry. The pyrometallurgical processes have the advantages of short flow and wide range of raw materials, and have gradually become the mainstream process for the utilization of laterite nickel ore. The characteristics, advantages, disadvantages and development of the main pyrometallurgical processes of laterite nickel ore, such as RK-EF process, direct reduction and magnetic process, rotary hearth furnace prereduction-electric furnace smelting separation process, reduction-sulfide smelting nickel matte process, and blast furnace process, are described in this paper. The research status and prospects at home and abroad are summarized. Suggestions on the green and efficient utilization of laterite nickel resources by pyrometallurgical technology are put forward.
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2021, Vol. 31 
