12 Questions
What are the two main branches of metallurgy?
Hydrometallurgy and Pyrometallurgy
What does hydrometallurgy involve?
Chemical reactions in aqueous solutions
What does leaching involve in hydrometallurgy?
Chemically reacting a mineral to selectively dissolve it into solution
What is the purpose of pyrometallurgy?
To use high temperatures to extract and process metals
Which technology applies leach solution to ore in the ground and collects pregnant solution pumped back to the surface?
In-situ leaching
Which leaching technology uses run-of-mine ore without crushing?
Dump leaching
Which leaching technology involves stacking crushed and agglomerated ore onto pads?
Heap leaching
Which leaching technology is performed on ground ore in slurry form?
Agitated tank leaching
Which technique involves adding a reagent to selectively react with impurity metal while leaving the desired metal in solution?
Precipitation
Which purification technique selectively transfers valuable metal ions to/from organic and aqueous phases?
Solvent extraction
Which purification technique involves the exchange of ions to/from organic and aqueous phases?
Ion exchange
What is the main method of hydrometallurgical recovery of dissolved metals for base metals like Cu, Ni, Co, and Zn?
Electrowinning (EW)
Study Notes
Hydrometallurgy and Pyrometallurgy in Mineral Processing
- Leaching involves controlling temperature, pressure, and reactant concentrations to dissolve the mineral of interest while avoiding excessive dissolution of gangue minerals
- Five main leaching technologies are in-situ leaching, dump leaching, heap leaching, agitated tank leaching, and pressure leaching
- In-situ leaching applies leach solution to ore in the ground and collects pregnant solution pumped back to the surface, used for minerals like potash and sodium chloride
- Dump leaching uses run-of-mine ore without crushing, applying leach solution to the top and collecting drained solution, used for minerals like gold and silver
- Heap leaching involves stacking crushed and agglomerated ore onto pads, applying leach solution to the top and collecting drained solution, used for minerals like copper, gold, and silver
- Agitated tank leaching is performed on ground ore in slurry form, adding acid or base solution to increase leaching rate
- Pressure leaching is performed in long, horizontal, tube-shaped reactors (autoclaves) above atmospheric boiling temperature
- Solution purification techniques in hydrometallurgy include precipitation, solvent extraction, and ion exchange
- Precipitation involves adding a reagent to selectively react with impurity metal while leaving the desired metal in solution
- Solvent extraction selectively transfers valuable metal ions to/from organic and aqueous phases, employed in copper and uranium production
- Ion exchange involves the exchange of ions to/from organic and aqueous phases, used to remove small amounts of metal ions from solutions
- Hydrometallurgical recovery of dissolved metals is mainly by electrowinning (EW) or electrorefining (ER), base metals like Cu, Ni, Co, and Zn are produced by electrowinning, and Cu is also produced by electrorefining
Test your knowledge of hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy in mineral processing with this quiz. Explore topics such as leaching technologies, solution purification techniques, and metal recovery methods commonly used in the industry.
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