Economic Viability of Nickel Recovery from Waste Catalyst

This paper investigates the economic viability of a closed-loop process for nickel recovery from roasted catalytic wastes. The effects of process parameters and market factors that drive the bottom-line profitability of nickel recovery are identified and analyzed using a cost and revenue evaluation model developed in the study. The main factors include the production batch size, material cost, and nickel selling price. With a nickel market value higher than S$18.85 per kg, the process is economically viable even with a batch size as small as 50 kg/batch. Given that the current nickel selling price at the metal exchange market has reached around S$24-28/kg, the economic feasibility of the process is confirmed.