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Questions and Answers
What metal extraction method relies on chemical reactions in an aqueous solution?
What metal extraction method relies on chemical reactions in an aqueous solution?
- Thermochemical extraction
- Electrometallurgy
- Hydrometallurgy (correct)
- Pyrometallurgy
Which of the following minerals is a source of aluminum?
Which of the following minerals is a source of aluminum?
- Limestone
- Beryl
- Barite
- Gibbsite (correct)
What is the portion of the ore that has no commercial value called?
What is the portion of the ore that has no commercial value called?
- Matrix
- Gangue (correct)
- Vein
- Mineral
Electrometallurgy employs which additional process compared to pyrometallurgy?
Electrometallurgy employs which additional process compared to pyrometallurgy?
Which of the following elements is typically obtained from galena?
Which of the following elements is typically obtained from galena?
Which type of element is most abundant in the Earth's crust?
Which type of element is most abundant in the Earth's crust?
What primarily caused the differentiation of Earth's materials into distinct layers?
What primarily caused the differentiation of Earth's materials into distinct layers?
Which phase is primarily composed of iron sulfide and has intermediate density?
Which phase is primarily composed of iron sulfide and has intermediate density?
Which metals are likely to be found concentrated in the iron phase of the Earth's layers?
Which metals are likely to be found concentrated in the iron phase of the Earth's layers?
What significantly influences the distribution of elements within Earth's layers?
What significantly influences the distribution of elements within Earth's layers?
Which type of compounds do elements with low or high electronegativity tend to form?
Which type of compounds do elements with low or high electronegativity tend to form?
What was a major component of the Earth's core as it formed?
What was a major component of the Earth's core as it formed?
Which elements predominantly contribute to the outer silicate phase of the Earth?
Which elements predominantly contribute to the outer silicate phase of the Earth?
What is the purpose of magnetic attraction in the pretreating process?
What is the purpose of magnetic attraction in the pretreating process?
Which method is specifically associated with the flotation process?
Which method is specifically associated with the flotation process?
What does leaching involve in ore pretreatment?
What does leaching involve in ore pretreatment?
Which of the following is a characteristic of cyclone separation?
Which of the following is a characteristic of cyclone separation?
What is the primary advantage of the flotation process?
What is the primary advantage of the flotation process?
In the context of minerals processing, what does the term 'gangue' refer to?
In the context of minerals processing, what does the term 'gangue' refer to?
What occurs during the magnetic separation process?
What occurs during the magnetic separation process?
Which separation method is specifically illustrated as relying on density differences?
Which separation method is specifically illustrated as relying on density differences?
What is the main purpose of leaching in hydrometallurgy?
What is the main purpose of leaching in hydrometallurgy?
Which of the following processes is used to convert sulfide ores into oxides?
Which of the following processes is used to convert sulfide ores into oxides?
What is the preferred agent for reducing oxides of less active metals?
What is the preferred agent for reducing oxides of less active metals?
Why is cyanide still the most commonly used method for gold extraction despite its hazards?
Why is cyanide still the most commonly used method for gold extraction despite its hazards?
What is the general reaction format for smelting?
What is the general reaction format for smelting?
What happens to volatile impurities during the roasting process?
What happens to volatile impurities during the roasting process?
Which of the following represents the leaching process for gold extraction?
Which of the following represents the leaching process for gold extraction?
In which step of metallurgy is an oxide typically reduced to a free element?
In which step of metallurgy is an oxide typically reduced to a free element?
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Study Notes
The Elements in Nature and Industry
- The Earth’s crust has the largest share of nonmetals, metalloids, and light active metals.
- The core of the Earth is rich in dense Group 8B(8) to 8B(10) metals.
- O2, N2, and the noble gases (except He) are obtained from the atmosphere.
- Most elements occur in ores, natural compounds or mixtures from which an element must be extracted.
- A few elements occur naturally in their uncombined (native) state.
Elemental Abundance
- The abundance of an element is the amount of that element in a particular region of the natural world.
Cycling of Elements Through the Environment
- Elements are not equally abundant in all regions, due to the differences in physical and chemical behavior of the elements.
Metallurgy: Extracting a Metal from Its Ore
- Metallurgy is the technology of metals, and is concerned with their extraction and utilization.
- Extraction of a pure element from its ore involves a series of steps, beginning with mining the ore.
- The mineral contains the element while the gangue is the portion of the ore with no commercial value.
- Pyrometallurgy uses heat to obtain the metal.
- Electrometallurgy employs an electrochemical step.
- Hydrometallurgy relies on the metal’s aqueous solution chemistry.
Pretreating the Ore
- Magnetic attraction can be used to separate magnetic minerals from the gangue.
- Density separation exploits large differences in densities.
- Flotation uses an oil-detergent mixture to form a slurry, which is mixed rapidly with air to give an oily, mineral-rich froth that floats.
- Leaching involves the formation of a complex ion that is water soluble.
Converting Minerals by Roasting
- Minerals are often converted to their oxides because oxides can be reduced easily.
- Roasting is a process of strongly heating the ore to a high temperature in excess of air, used for converting sulfide ores into oxides for the purification of metals.
Converting Minerals by Chemical Redox
- Heating an oxide with a reducing agent to obtain the metal is called smelting.
- Oxides of less active metals are reduced with hydrogen instead of carbon
- A more active metal may be used as the reducing agent.
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