The Extractive Metallurgy series is devoted to the extraction of metals from ores and other sources, their refining to the state of either liquid or solid metal, and the various processes needed to carry out these operations. Using the methodology of chemical reaction engineering, this second volume in the series examines on the metallurgical reaction processes used in the extraction and refining operations, covering pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, halide, and electro-metallurgical processes. It provides valuable information on the technologies and processes engineers encounter in industrial production.
Extractive metallurgy is the art and science of extracting metals from their ores and refining them. The production of metals and alloys from these source materials is still one of the most important and fundamental industries in both developed and developing economies around the world. The outputs and products are essential resources for the metallic, mechanical, electromagnetic, electrical and electronics industries (silicon is treated as a metal for these purposes). This series is devoted to the extraction of metals from ores, concentrates (enriched ores), scraps, and other sources and their refining to the state of either liquid metal before casting or to solid metals. The extraction and refining operations that are required may be carried out by various metallurgical reaction processes. Extractive Metallurgy 1 deals with the fundamentals of thermodynamics and kinetics of the reaction processes. Extractive Metallurgy 2 focuses on pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, halide and electro-metallurgical (conversion) processes. Extractive Metallurgy 3 deals with the industrial processing operations, technologies, and process routes, in other words the sequence of steps or operations used to convert the ore to metal. Processes and operations are studied using the methodology of “chemical reaction engineering”. As the fundamentals of the art and science of Extractive Metallurgy are infrequently taught as dedicated university or engineering schools courses, this series is intended both for students in the fields of Metallurgy and Mechanical Engineering who want to acquire this knowledge, and also for engineers put in charge of the operation of an industrial production unit or the development of a new process, who will need the basic knowledge of the corresponding technology.
This book is dedicated to the processes of mineral transformation, recycling and reclamation of metals, for the purpose of turning metals and alloys into a liquid state ready for pouring. Even though «process metallurgy» is one of the oldest technologies implemented by man, technological innovation, with the development of processes that are both focused on product quality and economically and ecologically efficient, continues to be at the heart of these industries. This book explains the physico-chemical bases of transformations, vital to their understanding and control (optimization of operational conditions), and the foundations in terms of «process engineering» (heat and matter assessment, process coupling: chemical reactions and transport phenomena), vital to the optimal execution and analysis of transformation process operations. This book is addressed to students in the field of metallurgy and to engineers facing the problem of metal and alloy development (operation of an industrial unit or development of a new process).