This course covers the scientific principles and industrial processes used for the extraction of metals from their ores. It presents the three main metallurgical routes: pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, and electrometallurgy.
The course examines the production processes of major industrial metals such as iron and steel, aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, as well as reactive metals like titanium and zirconium. Emphasis is placed on the physicochemical transformations involved in roasting, reduction, smelting, leaching, and electrolysis.
A significant part of the course is devoted to unit operations in extractive metallurgy, including crushing, grinding, flotation, calcination, smelting, leaching, solvent extraction, and electrolytic refining. It also introduces the thermodynamic foundations of pyrometallurgical transformations, particularly Gibbs free energy, chemical equilibrium, and Ellingham diagrams.
By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the mechanisms involved in converting ores into metals, evaluate the thermodynamic feasibility of reactions, and analyze the main factors affecting the efficiency and performance of industrial extraction processes.
- Créateur de cours: Abdelhakim Begar