MPE 302
Metallurgical Thermodynamics
2
Course Description
The students will be able to proffer solutions to these three basic questions:
1. is this reaction of metallurgical nature feasible or not;
2. under what conditions is the reaction feasible?
3. what is the rate of the reaction from reaction from techno-economic viewpoint; and
4. the students will be able to state the three laws and explain how they can be applied.
Course Outline
1st, 2nd and 3rd laws of thermodynamics and their application in metallurgical engineering;
Homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions pertain to metallurgical systems;
Thermochemistry: enthalpy, entropy, free energies and review of thermodynamic functions;
Feasibility of reactions and otherwise and chemical equilibrium; Maxwell relations; Ellingham
Diagram: Principle, applications limitations as critical tool in pyrometallurgy; Introduction to
solution thermodynamics II. Kinetics of chemical reaction system; First and second order rate
of reaction; Mechanism of reaction sequence; Concept of rate controlling step; Leaching of
operation in hydrometallurgical system and rate of reaction and kinetic of electrometallurgy;
Arrhenius equation and activation energy.