101 words

Nickel comes in two basic forms: sulfides and laterites. Both require processing to be refined into battery grade metal, but nickel sulfides require much less processing than laterites. Russia has lots of sulfides. Most of Southeast Asia’s nickel, however, is lower-quality laterites. Refining this kind of nickel is considerably dirtier and more complicated. It often involves a process called high-pressure acid leaching, in which the ore is crushed, heated to more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit, mixed with sulfuric acid, and pressurized to separate out the nickel. This method produces millions of tons of acidic waste that need to be handled somehow.