The depletion of global reserves of high-quality sulfide nickel deposits, coupled with the steady growth of nickel demand, has led to increased interest in the processing of oxidized (lateritic) nickel ores, including deposits with significant resource potential in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This paper provides an overview of global nickel ore reserves and their distribution, as well as the major nickel deposits in Kazakhstan, which are primarily located in the Aktobe, East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, and Pavlodar regions. Pyrometallurgical processing routes for lateritic nickel ores are also considered. Conventional production technologies, including the Rotary Kiln–Electric Furnace (RKEF), Krupp–Renn process, blast furnace smelting, Vaniukov process, and ISASMELT process, are reviewed, and their process flow diagrams are presented. These methods typically process lateritic nickel ores containing more than 1.2% Ni, whereas Kazakhstan ores are characterized by lower nickel grades, generally in the range of 0.75–1.1%. The advantages and limitations of conventional processing routes are analyzed, and the factors limiting the effective beneficiation of lateritic nickel ores using traditional methods are identified. The present study substantiates the feasibility of producing nickel-containing alloys from lateritic nickel ores using a metallothermic reduction approach. This method is based on the reduction of nickel and iron oxides using metallic reductants, which enables more selective extraction of target components and the formation of alloys with controlled composition. Metallothermic reduction is of particular interest for the processing of low-grade lateritic ores, as it allows the production of nickel-containing alloys without prior beneficiation, at lower energy consumption, and with reduced sensitivity to variations in the chemical and mineralogical composition of the raw materials. Therefore, this approach is considered a promising direction for the processing of lateritic nickel ores in Kazakhstan.

Chromo-magnesian ore materials constitute a complex resource base for producing both metallurgical and chemical products, yet existing research remains fragmented across beneficiation, smelting, chemical extraction, waste valorization, and refractory applications. This systematic review, conducted according to PRISMA 2020 using Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and SpringerLink, evaluates processing routes based on feedstock type and product orientation. Of 625 identified records, 19 studies met the final inclusion criteria. The reviewed technologies were classified into four groups: chemical processing, metallurgical reduction and smelting, integrated beneficiation–chemical–metallurgical routes, and refractory/materials production. Primary chromite ores and concentrates are predominantly used for ferrochrome and stainless-steel alloy production, whereas tailings, slimes, overburden, and serpentine-bearing materials are mainly processed into chromium oxide, magnesium compounds, and silica-rich products. Integrated routes show the greatest potential for low-grade and technogenic materials through multi-product recovery and improved resource efficiency. However, route selection depends on feedstock quality, mineralogy, target products, and process intensity. Major research gaps include limited comparative studies, insufficient mineralogy-driven process design, and inadequate techno-economic and environmental evaluation. Overall, future development should focus on integrated, feed-specific processing strategies that maximize resource utilization.

Spent titanium chlorinator melt is a potential technogenic source of scandium, but its recovery is complicated by high contents of iron, aluminium and alkali and alkaline-earth chlorides. This study assessed a sequence of hydrochloric acid leaching, Fe(III) reduction with ascorbic acid, sorption on the strong-acid cation exchanger Lewatit MonoPlus SP112H, desorption with acidified ammonium sulfate solution, oxalate precipitation, calcination and an additional column purification. In a scaled-up test, leaching of 4 kg of the spent melt with 5% HCl produced 25.5 L of filtrate containing 475.30 mg Sc. Two-stage sorption recovered 90.9% of the scandium, and the overall desorption degree reached 94.8%. The kinetic data were better described by the non-linear pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.890–0.938). Precipitation and calcination gave 0.60 g of an intermediate oxide product with 65.0 wt% Sc, and the additional purification 0.45 g of a final oxide product in which X-ray diffraction identified cubic Sc₂O₃ as the predominant crystalline phase; the elemental analysis gave a purity close to 98 wt%. Recovery into the final oxide reached 61.92% of the scandium in the filtrate. Iron co-sorption and scandium losses during the additional purification remained the principal limitations of the process.

The depletion of high-grade manganese ore reserves, accompanied by the progressive decline in ore quality, has intensified concerns regarding the supply of suitable manganese raw materials for Kazakhstan’s ferroalloy industry. Under these conditions, the development of efficient processing technologies for iron manganese ores characterized by low Mn/Fe ratios and complex mineralogical compositions has become increasingly important. This review examines current pyrometallurgical approaches for the processing of iron manganese ores, including carbothermic reduction roasting followed by magnetic separation, reduction smelting for the production of rich manganese slag, and hydrogen-based selective reduction followed by magnetic separation. Particular attention is given to the mineralogical and chemical characteristics of Kazakhstan’s iron manganese ores, which significantly limit their direct utilization in conventional ferromanganese production processes. The advantages and limitations of these technologies are critically evaluated in terms of metal recovery, Mn/Fe upgrading efficiency, energy requirements, environmental performance, and industrial applicability. The comparative analysis identifies reduction smelting as the most suitable route for Kazakhstan’s iron manganese ores under current technological conditions. This conclusion is primarily supported by the low Mn/Fe ratios, elevated iron contents, and complex mineralogical associations characteristic of the major Kazakhstan deposits, which limit the efficiency of solid-state reduction followed by magnetic separation. During smelting, the original mineral structure is destroyed, and iron and manganese are separated directly between the liquid metal and slag phases. Published studies report iron recoveries exceeding 95%, MnO recovery to the slag of approximately 94.6%, and Mn/Fe ratios above 15 in the resulting rich manganese slag. In addition, the process produces two potentially marketable products-cast iron and rich manganese slag-and can be integrated more readily into Kazakhstan’s existing ferroalloy production infrastructure. Therefore, reduction smelting currently represents the most technologically mature and practically feasible route for the comprehensive utilization of Kazakhstan’s iron manganese resources.