At production of stainless steel expensive alloying elements, containing nickel, are used. To decrease the steel cost, substitution of nickel during steel alloying process by its oxides is an actual task. Results of analysis of thermodynamic and experimental studies of nickel reducing from its oxide presented, as well as methods of nickel oxide obtaining at manganese bearing complex raw materials enrichment and practice of its application during steel alloying. Technology of comprehensive processing of complex manganese-containing raw materials considered, including leaching and selective extraction out of the solution valuable components: manganese, nickel, iron, cobalt and copper. Based on theoretical and experiment studies, a possibility of substitution of metal nickel by concentrates, obtained as a result of hydrometallurgical enrichment, was confirmed. Optimal technological parameters, ensuring high degree of nickel recovery out of the initial raw materials were determined. It was established, that for direct steel alloying it is reasonable to add into the charge pellets, consisting of nickel concentrate and coke fines, that enables to reach the through nickel recovery at a level of 90%. The proposed method of alloying steel by nickel gives a possibility to decrease considerably steel cost at the expense of application of nickel concentrate, obtained out of tails of hydrometallurgical enrichment of manganese-bearing raw materials, which is much cheaper comparing with the metal nickel.
