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Lecture 1 - HMET-520 - Introduction

The document is an introductory lecture on Hydrometallurgy at the Malawi Institute of Technology, covering the importance of metals, their sources, and the extraction techniques involved. It outlines the differences between hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, and electrometallurgy, as well as the principles and processes of hydrometallurgy, including leaching and purification methods. Additionally, it includes assignments for students to explore mineral processing and e-waste management using hydrometallurgical processes.

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emmanuel nkhoma
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6 views

Lecture 1 - HMET-520 - Introduction

The document is an introductory lecture on Hydrometallurgy at the Malawi Institute of Technology, covering the importance of metals, their sources, and the extraction techniques involved. It outlines the differences between hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, and electrometallurgy, as well as the principles and processes of hydrometallurgy, including leaching and purification methods. Additionally, it includes assignments for students to explore mineral processing and e-waste management using hydrometallurgical processes.

Uploaded by

emmanuel nkhoma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hydrometallurgy (HMET-520)

Malawi Institute of Technology (MIT)


Metallurgy & Materials Engineering

Lecture 1:
Introduction

D.B. Charton (MEng) @MUST 2025


Introduction

❑ Metals are backbone of our existence.


✓ Brainstorm some uses – include these categories
i. Engineering
ii. Agriculture
iii. Biosciences

❑ But where do we get these from?


i. Primary sources
ii. Secondary sources

2
Introduction

Metal Sources
1. Primary sources
✓ From the earth’s crust
❖ Mined and processed to end products or near-
end products

2. Secondary sources
❖ Recycling
❖ Tailings

3
Introduction

Metal Market Size

4
Background

❑ Metals are found in nature in form of minerals.


✓ Because of the tendency to react
❖ In search of stability
❑ Processing routes, in general, seek to dissociate the
metal from the mineral.
❖ Hydrometallurgy
❖ Pyrometallurgy
❖ Electrometallurgy

5
Background

Branch of Extractive Metallurgy


1. Hydrometallurgy
❖ A set of extraction techniques which provide the
metal in the form of an aqueous solution followed
by subsequent precipitation of the metal.

2. Pyrometallurgy
❖ An extraction technique which incorporates
smelting, converting and fire refining of the metal
concentrate.

6
Background

Branch of Extractive Metallurgy cont…


3. Electrometallurgy
❖ A technique which uses electrolysis to extract the
metal.
i. Electrowinning is the extraction of the
metal from the electrolyte.
ii. Electrorefining is the refining of the
impure metal which is in the form of the
anode.

❑ This module covers hydrometallurgy and


electrometallurgy.
7
Background

Branch of Extractive Metallurgy cont…


❑ Each of these branches of extractive metallurgy are
assessed based on the following factors; capital,
operating costs, and environmental impact.

8
Hydrometallurgy vs Pyrometallurgy

❑ General characteristics of hydrometallurgy which differ from


pyrometallurgy are; low operating temperatures, low reaction
rates, more environmentally friendly, larger plant size for a given
throughput of materials, low unit costs, and selective chemical
9
reactions.
Materials Sources for Extractive Metallurgy

❑ Materials used are generally those subjected to


pretreatment procedures.
i. Froth Flotation
ii. Gravity Separation etc.

❑ Hydrometallurgy is suitable for certain


applications/material sources.

10
Materials Sources for Extractive Metallurgy

11
Materials Sources for Extractive Metallurgy

12
Materials Sources

13
General Terminology

➢ Leaching: Selective dissolution of valuable minerals,


where the ore, concentrate or matte is brought into
contact with an active chemical solution known as a
leach solution.
❖Choice of leach solution depends on a number of
factors.
✓ The degree of dissolution: Dissolution of the value
metals must be as complete as possible.
✓ Selectivity of leaching: Determines degree to which
leaching happens and, consequently, the purity of
the metal-bearing solution.

14
General Terminology

✓ Cost of leach solutions. The cost of the leaching


process is determined by the unit costs of the various
reagents and their quantities.
✓ Capital cost of the leach equipment. Though not
related to leach solution but a considerable factor in
Hydrometallurgy.

➢ The remaining solids called residue/tailings are then


separated from the solution.
➢ The solution after completion of the leaching process is
termed leach liquor or pregnant leach solution (PLS)

15
General Terminology

➢ A lixiviant is a liquid medium used in hydrometallurgy


to selectively extract the desired metal from the ore or
mineral.
✓ Acid Lixiviants
❖ sulfuric acid and chlorohydric acid
• Sulfuric acid does not attack silica gangue
• Dissolves carbonated gangue
✓ Alkaline Lixiviants
❖ caustic soda (NaOH), sodium bicarbonate
(NaHCO3), ammonia (NH3) and sodium cyanide
(NaCN)

16
Basic Principles of Hydrometallurgy
❑ Hydrometallurgy is the science of extracting metals from their
ores, concentrates, and recycled or residual materials using
aqueous solutions.
❑ Hydrometallurgy treatment was generally confined to low grade
ores, which cannot be beneficiated economically.
❑ However, in a recent times, it has been extended to cover
concentrate, mattes, speiss, and scrap.
❑ Hydrometallurgy is used for metals such as copper, cobalt, nickel,
gold, uranium, and aluminium (case study).
❑ The stages involved in hydrometallurgy extraction are as follows:
1. Preparation of ore for leaching (comminution)
2. Roasting
3. Selective dissolution of valuable metals (leaching)
4. Separation of leach liquor from unwanted mineral
5. Concentration and purification
17
6. Recovery of metallic values from leach liquor
7. Recycling of leach liquor (barren liquor treatment)
Basic Principles of Hydrometallurgy
❑ Hydrometallurgical stages are summarized into three distinct
stages namely;
i. The metal of interest must first be transferred from the solid
feed material (ores, concentrates, etc) into an aqueous
solution. [Leaching]
ii. The condition of this metal-bearing solution (or solutions
formed from it) must then be concentrated and purified.
[solution concentration and purification]
iii. The metal must then be removed from the purified solution
in the solid state. [metal/metal compound recovery]

18
Basic Principles of Hydrometallurgy
❑ The concentration and/or purifying process of a metal-bearing
solution can be accomplished in one of three ways.
1. Evaporation
➢ This is achieved by boiling of a solution under reduced
pressure in order to achieve an increase in the concentration
of the metal as it leads to the removal of water from the
solution.
➢ Has the following disadvantages;
i. The process is not economical on a large scale.
ii. It does not purify the solution in any way.

19
Basic Principles of Hydrometallurgy

2. Precipitation process
➢ The precipitation of one of the components from the solution
occurs, which is followed by the separation of the precipitate and
the solution.
➢ The technique can be used to refine a solution by the selective
precipitation of an impurity.
3. Process utilizing a carrier phase
➢ The metal is transferred from the first aqueous solution to the
carrier phase.
➢ The solution and carrier phase is then separated.
➢ The carrier phase is mixed with a second aqueous solution.
✓ The refining action is achieved by ensuring that the transfer
of metal from the first solution to the carrier phase is
selective.
20
Basic Unit Processes in Hydrometallurgy

21
Critical Thinking
Mineral Processing vs Extractive Metallurgy
With the aid of well labeled diagrams, equations/reactions and
flowcharts, discuss any 10 points about mineral processing and
hydrometallurgy. (20 Marks)

22
Group Work (Assignment 2)
❑ Write a research proposal on e-waste management using
hydrometallurgical process.
❑ Due date: xx April, 2025
❑ Assessment mode: Presentations

23
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…as the journey continues

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