MPE 409
Chemical Metallurgy
2
Course Description
The students will:
1. appreciate chemical metallurgy as an important value addition process to mineral
resources and the gateway to metallurgical engineering;
2. be equipped with the principles and applications of pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy,
electrometallurgy and refining processes;
3. master the principle, the drawing and applications of Ellingham, Pourbaix and McCabe
Thiele Diagrams; and
4. be kept abreast of recent advances in chemical metallurgy.
Course Outline
Appetizer: Sustainable mineral resources development: A relay race among geologist,
miners, mineral processor and extractive (chemical) metallurgist, the concept of world
without metals! The importance of chemical metallurgy as the gateway to metallurgical
engineering and the fact that there is no distinct boundary between mineral processing
technology and extractive metallurgical engineering. Roasting, calcination, agglomeration
and leaching are at the intercession of both disciplines;
Introduction to Chemical Metallurgy: Review of metallurgical thermodynamics, kinetics and
smelters contract; definition, nature and classification of chemical metallurgy.
Pyrometallurgy: Definition, roasting, agglomeration principle, methods, equipment, tools for
pyro-metallurgy (Ellingham Diagram). Introduction to iron and steel making: tin smelting
and coal gold agglomeration.
Hydrometallurgy: Definition, nature and scope; hydrometallurgical processes, McCabe Thiele
Diagram for solvent extraction, leaching kinetics, advantages and disadvantages of
hydrometallurgy: Introduction of extraction of aluminium
Electrometallurgy: Principle and application of McCabe Thiele Diagram; definition and scope;
electrometallurgical methods, electrochemical series, principle and application of Pourbaix
Diagram in electrometallurgy; advantages and limitations of electrometallurgy.
Refining of Metals: Definition, nature and scope; vacuum refining, zone refining, re-melting,
liquation, electro-beam metal, electron beam and electro-slag.
Recent advances in Chemical Metallurgy