Unwrought nickel

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR governs foreground data packages for nickel metal leaving a refinery in an unwrought market form, including cathode, briquette, pellet, granule, rondelle, or comparable primary shape. It covers unalloyed unwrought nickel and unwrought nickel alloys only when nickel content, alloy designation, physical form, purity, and production route are declared. The present route inventory applies to hydrometallurgical purification followed by electrowinning or hydrogen reduction; a carbonyl-route dataset requires a later audited route extension.

It excludes nickel ores and concentrates; nickel matte, nickel oxide sinter, and other nickel-metallurgy intermediates as products; ferro-nickel and other charge nickel; nickel chemicals; nickel powder and flakes; nickel scrap; and wrought or semi-finished nickel profiles, bars, wire, plate, sheet, strip, foil, tube, and fittings. Upstream production of a purchased nickel-bearing intermediate is represented by a separate supplier dataset and is not silently merged with refinery foreground records.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.metal-products-machinery-and-equipment.basic-metals.unwrought-nickel
classification_refs	CPC 3.0: 41422, Unwrought nickel
covered_products	Nickel metal in unwrought refinery-gate forms, including cathode, briquette, pellet, granule, rondelle, and other declared primary shapes; unalloyed nickel and unwrought nickel alloys
excluded_products	Nickel ores and concentrates; nickel matte and nickel oxide sinter sold as intermediates; ferro-nickel; nickel chemicals; nickel powders and flakes; nickel scrap; wrought and semi-finished nickel products
representative_product	Refined unalloyed nickel in a declared unwrought market form
production_route	Hydrometallurgical purification followed by electrowinning or hydrogen reduction; carbonyl refining and other routes require an audited foreground-inventory extension before use
market_state	Dry saleable nickel metal at the refinery gate, with purity, alloy grade, form, packaging state, geography, and route declared

3. Reference Flow

Field	Value
What	Supply of saleable unwrought nickel metal at the refinery gate
How much	1,000 kg net mass of unwrought nickel product
How well	Conforming to the declared nickel purity or alloy grade and declared physical form, excluding packaging mass
How long or cycle	One reporting-period production output normalized to 1,000 kg
reference_flow_link	out_unwrought_nickel

Field	Value
Reference amount	1,000 kg
Reference product flow	Unwrought nickel
Reference flow property	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	nickel purity or alloy designation; unwrought form; refinery route; feed intermediate and its nickel grade; site and geography; reporting period; recycled-content treatment; co-product allocation method; packaging inclusion; moisture and weighing basis

When constructing a foreground data package, the items listed in Required qualifiers must be declared in dataset metadata, process notes, reference flow comment, product description, or an equivalent data package field. Missing required qualifiers make the reference flow definition incomplete for that data package.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
reference_net_mass	reference product	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Normalize all amounts to 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output; exclude pallet, container, and other packaging mass and disclose any moisture correction.
material_mass_basis	nickel-bearing feeds and mass reagents	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Record as-received mass and assay or concentration separately; use dry mass or active-substance mass only through a documented calculation from collected fields.
gas_volume_basis	oxygen, hydrogen, and natural gas	Volume 93a60a56-a3c8-22da-a746-0800200c9a66	m3	Record metered volume with reference temperature, reference pressure, dry/wet basis, and composition; do not compare volumes reported at different reference conditions without conversion.
electricity_energy_basis	alternating current	Net calorific value 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66	MJ	Preserve the metered kWh record and convert to MJ using 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ; declare voltage level, grid or on-site source, and geography.

5. System Boundary

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	Nickel-bearing intermediate received at the refinery gate, identified as one concrete flow such as nickel matte or nickel monoxide, with supplier, origin, mass, nickel assay, moisture, and delivery state recorded
starting_condition_role	Upstream cut-in point for the foreground refinery; purchased-intermediate burdens remain in a linked upstream dataset
product_classification_scope	Unwrought nickel metal only; intermediate nickel products, ferro-nickel, chemicals, powders and flakes, and semi-finished nickel products remain outside the reference-product scope
recursive_input_rule	Any purchased unwrought nickel returned as recycle or blending feed is recorded as its own input with a separate upstream dataset; it is not recursively recreated using this same foreground process
upstream_dataset_requirement	Each nickel-bearing feed, purchased reagent, fuel, electricity supply, and water supply crossing the foreground boundary requires a geographically and technologically qualified upstream dataset or an explicit data gap
disclosure	Declare refinery route, included unit operations, feed identity and grade, treatment of internal recycling, direct-emission monitoring boundary, co-products and wastes, packaging treatment, and all excluded on-site operations

rule_id	applies_to	rule	source_ids
sb_refinery_gate	foreground refinery boundary	Include purification, metal recovery, route-specific forming or briquetting, off-gas treatment, direct water treatment, internal recycling, and saleable-product weighing when operated by the reporting refinery; exclude upstream mining and intermediate production unless they are physically integrated and separately disclosed.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
sb_route_disclosure	route-dependent operations	Apply each conditional inventory row only when the declared technology uses that exchange; do not average electrowinning and hydrogen-reduction routes without reporting route shares and data coverage. Carbonyl refining is outside the present route inventory.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
sb_direct_releases	direct emissions and wastes	Add one atomic row for every measured or permitted direct substance emission and every concrete waste stream generated by the included refinery operations; do not replace them with an umbrella emissions or residues row.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
pr_nickel_refining	Nickel intermediate purification, metal recovery, and unwrought-product finishing	required	Always; individual flow cards are route-conditional where stated	Foreground refinery production	1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output

Process: Nickel intermediate purification, metal recovery, and unwrought-product finishing (pr_nickel_refining)

Inputs

Product flows

Nickel matte feed (in_nickel_matte)

Record when nickel matte crosses the refinery boundary for leaching and purification. Keep supplier, origin, nickel assay, moisture, and other payable-metal assays with the foreground record.

• Selected flow: Nickel matte 858f8544-ed53-473b-8bfa-734455a25f3c
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured as-received mass of nickel matte consumed during the reporting period
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_inputs
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Nickel monoxide feed (in_nickel_monoxide)

Record only when nickel monoxide is the declared refinery feed for a reduction route. Keep purity, particle or briquette state, moisture, origin, and supplier dataset separate from the quantity.

• Selected flow: Nickel monoxide 3e78d4a3-6ff2-4726-b43c-d761ff8624b0
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured as-received mass of nickel monoxide consumed
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output for the applicable route
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_inputs
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Process water (in_process_water)

Record process water that crosses the foreground boundary for leaching, washing, scrubbing, cooling makeup, or solution preparation. Do not net off recycled internal water; report internal recycling separately in process notes.

• Selected flow: Process Water 94a04f7e-2d5c-41f0-b182-d54a3b373a02
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: metered or balance-derived process-water input
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_water_input
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Industrial oxygen (in_industrial_oxygen)

Record only when industrial oxygen is supplied to leaching, oxidation, or another included refinery operation. Keep purity and gas-volume reference conditions with the meter record.

• Selected flow: Industrial oxygen bd4b0f96-2090-4806-a648-335ab20ff401
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: metered standardised volume of industrial oxygen consumed
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output for the applicable route
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_gases
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Sodium hydroxide (in_sodium_hydroxide)

Record only when sodium hydroxide is purchased for neutralisation or impurity precipitation. Record delivered solution mass and concentration separately and calculate pure NaOH-equivalent mass without replacing the collected record.

• Selected flow: Sodium hydroxide e0abcced-0611-4c24-9290-5a2c5a0c4169
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured delivered product mass with solution concentration recorded
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output for the applicable purification route
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_inputs
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Alternating current (in_alternating_current)

Record refinery electrical energy at the facility meter boundary. Disclose voltage, grid or on-site generation source, geography, and whether auxiliary and abatement loads are included.

• Selected flow: alternating current 8bfc48b1-c262-4156-a817-b2c8a1b21598
• Flow property / unit: Net calorific value / MJ
• Amount rule: metered electricity consumption converted from kWh to MJ
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_electricity_input
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Hydrogen gas (in_hydrogen)

Record only when molecular hydrogen is consumed to reduce purified nickel solution or nickel oxide. Record purity, production or supply route, and volume reference conditions.

• Selected flow: Hydrogen gas
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: metered standardised volume of hydrogen consumed
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output for the hydrogen-reduction route
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_gases
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Natural gas in the gaseous state (in_natural_gas)

Record only when gaseous natural gas is consumed as refinery fuel within an included operation. Disclose composition, supply geography, meter reference conditions, and the consuming operation.

• Selected flow: natural gas in the gaseous state 4f19ca0e-7b3b-11dd-ad8b-0800200c9a66
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: metered standardised volume of gaseous natural gas consumed
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output for the applicable route
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_gases
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Waste flows

No generic waste row is permitted. Add separate cards for each measured filter cake, gypsum-bearing residue, dust, sludge, spent electrolyte, or other concrete waste that crosses the selected site boundary, with route applicability and treatment destination declared.

Elementary flows

No elementary input is prescribed generically. Add each directly withdrawn resource as one substance- and compartment-specific row when it crosses the selected site boundary.

Outputs

Product flows

Saleable unwrought nickel (out_unwrought_nickel)

Record the dry net mass of conforming unwrought nickel leaving the refinery. Keep each form, purity or alloy grade, and nonconforming output separately traceable before aggregation to the reference product.

• Selected flow: Unwrought nickel
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured dry net saleable-product mass; normalized reference amount equals 1,000 kg
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_product_output
• Sources: src_unsd_cpc_3_0_2025; eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Waste flows

No umbrella waste output is defined. Concrete route-specific wastes must be added as atomic rows under the system-boundary rule sb_direct_releases.

Elementary flows

Fossil carbon dioxide to air (out_carbon_dioxide_fossil)

Record direct fossil carbon dioxide released from included on-site combustion. Exclude upstream electricity emissions and avoid double counting carbon already represented in measured stack totals.

• Selected flow: carbon dioxide (fossil) 08a91e70-3ddc-11dd-923d-0050c2490048
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured stack emission or fuel-carbon-balance result for included direct sources
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1,000 kg dry net unwrought nickel output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_direct_co2
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	applies_to	rule	source_ids
al_subdivide_first	jointly operated refinery units	Subdivide operations and use direct meters, assays, and mass balances before applying allocation; retain route-specific treatment and abatement loads with the route that causes them.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
al_recovered_metals	copper, cobalt, precious-metal, or other recovered co-products	Where subdivision cannot separate a recovered co-product, apply one documented allocation method consistently to inputs, direct emissions, and wastes; report pre-allocation quantities and sensitivity to an alternative physical relation.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
al_internal_recycling	internal electrolyte, chlorine, acid, water, dust, and nickel-bearing recycle	Do not create upstream credits for internal closed-loop reuse; record only net boundary inputs and outputs while retaining gross internal circulation needed for process control.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
al_external_recycling	externally supplied recycled nickel and exported recyclable residues	Record external recycled feed and exported recyclable material as separate flows; disclose the selected recycling allocation or substitution convention and do not mix conventions within one dataset.

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_material_inputs	pr_nickel_refining	nickel-bearing feed and mass reagent	weighbridge, batch sheet, tank receipt, invoice, assay	flow identity; supplier; lot; gross and tare mass; moisture; concentration or assay; date; route	reconcile receipts and process issue records to stock change	kg plus mass fraction	per receipt or batch; aggregate monthly	at least one representative 12-month period	all included refinery units	opening stock + receipts - closing stock - documented transfers, then normalize by conforming output	calibrated scales; assay certificates; stock reconciliation; exception log
cp_water_input	pr_nickel_refining	process water	meter and water balance	meter id; opening and closing reading; source; density basis if mass is converted; recycled-water volume; date	read boundary supply meters and reconcile against major sub-meters	kg	at least monthly	same period as product output	all included refinery units	sum external make-up water without subtracting internal recycle, then normalize	meter calibration; water-balance closure; missing-data log
cp_process_gases	pr_nickel_refining	route-specific process gas	custody-transfer or process meter	gas identity; purity or composition; meter reading; temperature; pressure; wet/dry basis; route; date	standardise volume to the declared reference conditions	m3	continuous or per delivery; aggregate monthly	same period as applicable route output	supplying meter to each included route	sum standardised make-up volume and normalize to route output	meter calibration; gas certificate; conversion worksheet
cp_electricity_input	pr_nickel_refining	alternating current	revenue and sub-meter records	meter id; kWh; voltage; supplier or generator; included units; date	reconcile facility meter with route and abatement sub-meters	kWh and MJ	continuous meter; aggregate monthly	same period as product output	all included production and direct-treatment units	sum kWh, multiply by 3.6 MJ/kWh, and normalize	meter calibration; invoice reconciliation; sub-meter coverage
cp_product_output	pr_nickel_refining	saleable unwrought nickel	product scale and quality-release record	product form; purity or alloy grade; gross and tare mass; moisture; disposition; date	sum only conforming released product and retain nonconforming material separately	kg	per lot; aggregate monthly	same period as inputs	refinery gate	sum dry net conforming mass by product variant before normalization	calibrated product scale; laboratory release certificate; lot reconciliation
cp_direct_co2	pr_nickel_refining	direct fossil carbon dioxide	stack monitor or fuel-carbon balance	source id; measured CO2 or fuel quantity; carbon content; oxidation factor; biogenic fraction; operating period	prefer measured stack totals; otherwise calculate from site fuel records without including upstream emissions	kg CO2	continuous or per fuel batch; aggregate monthly	same period as product output	direct sources within the foreground boundary	sum non-overlapping direct sources and normalize	monitor QA records or fuel certificates; calculation audit; overlap check

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calc_reference_normalization	every inventory amount	normalized amount = reporting-period amount / dry net conforming unwrought nickel output × 1,000 kg	reporting-period exchange amount; cp_product_output dry net output	amount per 1,000 kg reference product
calc_electricity_conversion	in_alternating_current	MJ = metered kWh × 3.6	reconciled kWh from cp_electricity_input	electricity input in MJ
calc_active_reagent	solution reagents	pure-substance equivalent = delivered solution mass × measured mass fraction; retain delivered product mass as the exchange amount unless the selected flow identity is pure substance	delivered mass; certificate or measured concentration	auditable active-substance equivalent
calc_nickel_balance	nickel-bearing inputs and outputs	reconcile nickel content in feeds to nickel in products, co-products, wastes, emissions, and stock change using contemporaneous assays; investigate rather than allocate unexplained imbalance	masses; nickel assays; inventory changes	nickel mass-balance closure and exception record	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_identity	all exchanges	Use one concrete chemical or physical flow per row and preserve Tiangong UUID identity where confirmed; keep unresolved identities explicit.	direct-read UUID audit; lot and supplier records
dq_route	process coverage	Identify every operating refinery route and quantify its share of reference output; do not use this dataset for an unrepresented route.	process map; route production records
dq_temporal	all foreground records	Use one common representative 12-month period or document and reconcile any shorter or offset coverage.	meter dates; batch dates; production calendar
dq_completeness	mass, energy, water, gas, waste, and direct-emission records	Reconcile facility totals to included units, identify missing meters and estimated intervals, and disclose excluded operations.	balance checks; meter coverage map; missing-data log
dq_assay	nickel-bearing materials	Use contemporaneous representative assays for nickel, moisture, and allocation-relevant co-metals; disclose sampling and laboratory method.	certificates of analysis; sampling plan; laboratory QA
dq_geography_technology	upstream links	Match upstream datasets to supplier geography, production technology, product state, and delivery boundary or disclose each mismatch.	supplier dataset metadata; representativeness review

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	applies_to	rule	source_ids
val_reference_output	reference flow	Confirm that the output equals 1,000 kg dry net conforming unwrought nickel and that purity or alloy grade and physical form are declared.	src_unsd_cpc_3_0_2025
val_product_boundary	product identity	Reject datasets whose reference product is nickel matte, nickel oxide sinter, ferro-nickel, a nickel chemical, nickel powder or flake, scrap, or a semi-finished nickel product.	src_unsd_cpc_3_0_2025
val_route_rows	conditional inventory	Confirm that each route-conditional input is either supported by a foreground record or explicitly not applicable to the declared route; never substitute an umbrella utility, gas, chemical, waste, or emission label.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
val_units	measurement	Verify dry/net mass treatment, gas reference conditions, and kWh-to-MJ conversion before normalization.
val_balance	nickel mass balance	Require an auditable nickel balance across feed, product, co-products, wastes, emissions, and stock change; flag unexplained imbalance for review.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
val_allocation	co-products and recycling	Confirm subdivision was attempted first and that any allocation or recycling convention is disclosed and applied consistently.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
val_uuid_gaps	unresolved identities	Treat the unresolved reference product and hydrogen UUIDs as review findings; do not substitute a near match or proxy.

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	Foreground refinery production dataset for one declared unwrought nickel product and route mix
downstream_use	secondary_dataset; background_dataset after review and resolution of publication-blocking identity and evidence gaps
allowed_use	Route-, product-, geography-, and period-matched LCA models requiring refinery-gate unwrought nickel
excluded_use	Nickel mining or concentrate production; nickel-metallurgy intermediates; ferro-nickel; nickel chemicals; powder and flakes; semi-finished products; unrepresented refinery routes; global-average proxy claims without representativeness evidence
required_metadata	PCR id; product form; nickel purity or alloy grade; refinery route and shares; feed identity and assay; site and geography; reporting period; energy and water supply; co-product and recycling method; packaging treatment; unresolved UUIDs
required_quality_disclosure	Meter and assay coverage; mass-balance closure; missing data and estimates; temporal, geographic, and technological representativeness; direct-emission monitoring; allocation sensitivity; upstream dataset mismatches
update_trigger	Material route, feed, product-grade, energy-source, abatement, allocation, site-boundary, or representativeness change; resolution of an unresolved UUID; or replacement of unresolved range evidence

11. Data Sources

Source id	Type	Reference	Used for
src_unsd_cpc_3_0_2025	official_guidance	United Nations Statistics Division, CPC Ver. 3.0 Structure and Explanatory Notes, updated 30 June 2025. Structure: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Download/In%20Text/CPC_Ver_3.0_Structure_30Jun2025.csv; explanatory notes: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Download/In%20Text/CPC_Ver_3.0_Exp_Notes_30Jun2025.pdf	Official product identity; distinction from nickel-metallurgy intermediates and nickel powders/flakes
eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017	official_guidance	European Commission Joint Research Centre, Best Available Techniques Reference Document for the Non-Ferrous Metals Industries, EUR 28648 EN, JRC107041, DOI 10.2760/8224. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC107041	Refined-nickel product forms; refinery routes; process decomposition; route-specific inputs; waste and direct-emission completeness rules
cn-sat-export-refund-2003	official_guidance	Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration, Notice on Adjusting Export Tax Refund Rates, attachment 4, customs code 7502 "未锻轧镍", 13 October 2003. https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/n810341/n810765/n812198/n813051/c1205357/content.html	Professional Chinese product terminology for customs code 7502