text: The Sherritt process is a hydrometallurgical process named for Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. (now Sherritt International) of Sherridon and Lynn Lake Manitoba Canada, based on the older Forward process developed by Dr. Frank Forward for the recovery of copper and nickel from those same mines. Nickel sulfide concentrates can be treated by either roasting or flash smelting to produce matte from which nickel and cobalt can be recovered hydrometallurgically, or they may be treated by an ammonia solution pressure leach. The residue is removed. A feed of matte and sulfide concentrate containing approximately 0.4% cobalt and 30% sulfur is pressure leached at elevated temperature and pressure in an ammoniacal solution to produce a solution of nickel, copper and cobalt. By boiling away the ammonia; copper is precipitated as a sulfide and sent to a smelter. Hydrogen sulfide is added to the autoclave to remove nickel sulfide and copper sulfide which is fed back to the leaching process. Air is then passed through the solution in the autoclave for oxyhydrolysis. The solution is then reduced with hydrogen, again at high temperature and pressure, to precipitate nickel powder (>99%). The remaining solution (containing approximately equal proportions of nickel and cobalt sulfides), is then adjusted (to a lower temperature and pressure) to precipitate the mixed sulfides and the fluid is concentrated and crystallized into ammonium sulfate ((NH)SO).  The mixed sulfides are pressure leached with air and sulfuric acid. Ammonia is then added to remove potassium and iron as jarosite (KFe (OH)(SO)). More ammonia and air is added for oxidation. The solution is removed from the autoclave and sulfuric acid added to remove nickel as nickel(II) sulfate-ammonium sulfate hexahydrate ([NiSO]•[(NH)SO]•6HO) which is then sent to have its nickel recovered. The solution is then further reduced with more sulfuric acid and cobalt metal powder is added to aid in the nucleation of precipitants (seeding). Addition of hydrogen gas to saturation precipitates cobalt powder with a purity of approximately 99.6%.