CHEM ENG 7058 - Hydrometallurgy & Electrometallurgy

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014

This course aims to provide the Chemical Engineering Minerals Processing students with an understanding of hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy techniques that are used in the processing of minerals. The main topics covered in hydrometallurgy include acid, alkaline and pressure leaching, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of leaching, purification and leach liquors by ion exchange, solvent extraction, adsorption using active carbon, selective precipitation operations, solid-liquid separation techniques including hydrogen precipitation. Several practical processes are studied including alumina refining, copper extraction, nickel, zinc, cobalt, gold and uranium processing etc. The main topics in electrometallurgy include Pourbaix diagrams, recovery of metal values by cementation, electrowinning and refining from aqueous solutions, electrolyte preparation, cell potential, effect of additives, aluminium smelting from molten salt electrolytes, design of electrochemical reactors and application of processes for the recovery of copper, zinc, gold and aluminium. At the end of this course you should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the key factors that govern the successful operation of hydrometallurgical and electrometallurgical processes in the minerals industry.

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