Nov. 23., 2008 | 07:20 pm
No:: anonīmiķis
There are three basic ways of treating metallic ores in order to extract their metal content. Pyrometallurgy is the treatment of metals and their ores by heat. Pyrometallurgy includes Roasting, which is the heating of ores in air or heating it with a reducing agent such as carbon (coke) or carbon monoxide. Pyrometallurgy is the oldest extractive process. In early day Nevada, carbon was obtained from pinyon pines, juniper trees or sagebrush. The wood was collected and heated in ovens which resembled beehives and these ovens became the "Beehive Ovens" found today near numerous old mining camps.
The second basic way of treating metallic ore is electrometallurgy. In this method the metals are processed using electricity such as electroplating and electrorefining. Electric arc furnaces are used to make steel. Electrometallurgy is used when very high purity metal is needed.
The third basic way of treating metallic ore is hydrometallurgy. This is a wet process as the name implies, where reactants are used in a water solution. This method has not been used on an industrial scale due to the high costs involved. However, as the concentration of desired metal becomes less in the ores mined, the wet processing of the more valuable metal ores becomes more feasible.
The second basic way of treating metallic ore is electrometallurgy. In this method the metals are processed using electricity such as electroplating and electrorefining. Electric arc furnaces are used to make steel. Electrometallurgy is used when very high purity metal is needed.
The third basic way of treating metallic ore is hydrometallurgy. This is a wet process as the name implies, where reactants are used in a water solution. This method has not been used on an industrial scale due to the high costs involved. However, as the concentration of desired metal becomes less in the ores mined, the wet processing of the more valuable metal ores becomes more feasible.