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CHMT3018 / CHMT3050A:
Ore dressing and Extractive
Metallurgy
04 October 2023
Mrs. Zama Mthabela
[email protected]
School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering 2
12th Lecture

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 Course Content - Part 1
Week 1: Course Brief and Comminution
• Course Rules and expectations.
• Communition, Crushers and Unit operation
• Energy Laws
Week 2: Milling
• Grinding, Screening
• Unit operation
Week 3: Particle Size Analysis
• Particle Characterization
• Methods and equipment
Week 4: Mass Balancing
• Metallurgical efficiency/ accounting

Week 5: Separation:
• Handpicking
• gravity concentration, 4
• magnetic
 Course Content - Part 2
Week 6: Separation and introduction to Solution Chemistry
• Magnetic and Gravity separation examples
• Upgrading methods,
• Flotation, sedimentation, thickening and filtration,
• Solution chemistry.

Week 6: Test 1 based on Week 1 – 5 work.

Week 7: Solution Chemistry Continues

• Precipitation,
• Solubility
• Electrochemical Reaction Principles

Week 8: Spring Break (04 – 08 September 2023)

Week 9: Thermodynamics
• Cell Potential,
• Predicting the feasibility of reactions,
• Thermodynamic calculations,
• Chemical Potential, Free Energy.
Week 9: Hydrometallurgy
• leaching,
• Leaching reactions
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• Leaching Reagents
 Course Content - Part 3
Week 10: Hydrometallurgy
• Leaching reactions and reagents This lecture
• Different Leaching methods. will cover:
Week 11: Solvent Extraction and Coal
• Solvent extraction,
• Ion exchange,
• Coal and technologies associated with coal usage after mining,
• Recap on past topics in preparation for next topic.

Week 12: Pyrometallurgy

• Roasting and calcination of concentrates,
• smelting converting,
• electrowinning/refining,
• industrial metal extraction processes.

Week 12: Occupational Health and Safety Act

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Week 13: Test 2 based on Week 6 - 12 work.
 Assessments Dates

• Exam : TBC
• Tests 1 : 23th August 2023
• Test 2 : 12th October 2023
• Assignment : 12th October 2023
(report writing format)

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 Learning Objectives
• To introduce the mining engineering students to the
basic principles and unit operations used in the
pyrometallurgical industry.
• To focus on the pyrometallurgical principles.
• To look into the pre-treatment process principles.
• To focus on the smelting and electrometallurgical
process principles.

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 Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lecture you should:
• Understand basic principles of pyrometallurgy.
• Understand the pre-treatment, smelting and
electrometallurgical processes.
• Have knowledge on unit operations and application of
pyrometallurgy.

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 Recommended Textbooks
• William F Smith en Javad Hashemi. Introduction to
Engineering, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill International Edition
2015.
• Mineral processing technology B A. Wills, 4th, 5th 6th, 7th
or 8th will adequately meet the requirements for the Ore
dressing.
• Brown, L Theodore, Lemay, H Eugene Jr. and Bursten, E
Bruce. Chemistry: the central science.
• Woollacott, L and Eric, R. Minerals and Metal Extraction: an
overview.
• Habashi, F. A textbook of Hydrometallurgy.

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 Extraction Methodologies

Metallurgical
Methods

Pyrometallurgy Hydrometallurgy Electrometallurgy

• Calcination • Leaching • Electrowinning

• Roasting • Purification • Electrorefining
• Smelting • Precipitation

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Pyrometallurgy

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 Pyrometallurgy
• Involves high temperature processes where chemical reactions
take place among gases, solids, and molten materials.
• Solids containing valuable metals are either reacted to form
intermediate compounds for further processing, or they are
converted into their elemental or metallic state.
• Pyrometallurgical processes that involve gases and solids are
represented by roasting operations.
• Processes that produce molten products are collectively referred
to as smelting operations.

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 Pyrometallurgy
• The energy required to sustain the high temperature in
pyrometallurgical processes may come entirely from the
exothermic nature of the chemical reactions taking place,
usually oxidation reactions.
• Energy must be added to the process by combustion of fuel or,
in the case of some smelting processes, by the direct application
of electrical energy.
• Roasting, smelting and converting are the most common
pyrometallurgical unit processes.
• Chemical conversion process enhance the subsequent
hydrometallurgical process e.g. calcination of carbonates and
roasting of sulphides.

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Pre-treatment
Methodologies
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 Pyro Pre-treatment Method:
Calcination
Calcination:
• Removal of impurities and moisture through heating
under the absence or limited air supply conditions.
• Conversion of ore to metal oxides.
E.g. Limestone Calcination

CaCO3 ↔ CaO + CO2 (g)

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 Pyro Pre-treatment Method:
Calcination
Furnace or Reactors: shaft furnaces, rotary kilns, and fluidized bed
reactors.

Lime Discharge
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 Pyro Pre-treatment Method:
Calcination
• Thermal treatment of an ore or a concentrate affects the
decomposition or the elimination of volatile product such as
carbon dioxide, water vapour or other gases from the ore.
• The water and the carbon dioxide are chemically bound as e.g.
hydrates or carbonates.

Examples
Thermal decomposition of Calcium Carbonate:

CaCO3 ↔ CaO + CO2

Thermal decomposition of aluminium hydroxide:

2Al (OH)3 ↔ Al2O3 + 3H2O

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 Pyrometallurgical Method:
Calcination

DIGESTION CRYSTALIZATION CLASSIFICATION CALCINATION

ALUMINA

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Roasting

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 Pyro Pre-treatment Method:
Roasting
• Roasting is a process where sulphide concentrates are
heated in the presence of oxygen.
• During this treatment sulphur in the concentrate is
oxidised to sulphur dioxide, a gas which is collected and
used for sulphuric acid production.
• Sulphur get completely removed at times and a metal
oxide is obtained. For example in the production of zinc
and in other cases sulphur is only partly removed which is
common in the production of copper and nickel.
• Typical ores or concentrates that are roasted are the sulfides
of Zn, Cu and Pb. The aim is to convert the metal
sulphides partly or completely into oxides for subsequent
treatment.

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 Pyro Pretreatment Method:
Roasting
FEED

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Pre-treatment
Example

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 Pyro Pre-treatment Method:
Roasting
• Roasting - removal of impurities through heating under presence
of air.
E.g. Copper is extracted from copper pyrites in the following
manner:

Major
Extraction of Copper Reaction

2CuFeS2 + O2 Cu2S + 2FeS + SO2

2Cu2S + 3O2 2Cu2O + 2SO2
2FeS + 3O2 2FeO + 2SO2
Minor
Reaction
2Cu2O + Cu2S 6Cu + SO2
Cu2S + 2CuO 4Cu + SO2
Cu ready for refining.
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 Types of Roasting
One can get the following types of roasting:
• Oxidising roast
• Volatizing roast
• Chlorodising roast
• Sulfatizing roast
• Magnetizing roast
• Carburizing roast
• Sinter or blast roasting

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 Types of Roasting
• Sulphatizing roast:
• refers to a kind of roasting that yields sulphates by the following
formula:
MeS+2O2 = MeSO4
• The metal sulphates formed of for example zinc, copper and
cobalt are highly soluble in water and the method is therefore
suitable for subsequent leaching processes.

• Chloridizing roast:
• refers to a process during which some chlorinating agent, chlorine
gas or some chloride, is added for the formation of metal
chlorides.
MeS+2NaCl +2O2 = Na2SO4+ MeCl2
• easily soluble metal chlorides may be obtained for subsequent
hydrometallurgical metal production.

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 Types of Roasting
• Partial roasting:
• implies that only part of the sulphur is oxidized, roughly in
accordance with the following formula:
• 6CuFeS2 + 13O2 = Cu2S + Fe3O4 + 9SO2

• Full roasting or dead roasting:

• refers to complete oxidation of all the sulphur
• 2CuFeS2 + 6O2 = Cu2O + Fe2O3 + 4SO2

• This kind of roasting is used when the metal production is

to be carried out in an environment free from sulphide, for
example the leaching of copper by means of sulphuric acid
followed by electrowinning of copper.

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 Types of Roasting
• Magnetising roast:
• is a full roasting of pyrite at which magnetite is generated:
• 3FeS2 + 8O2 = Fe3O4 + 6SO2
• Hematising roast:
• is roasting that produces hematite as follows:
• 4FeS2 + 11O2 = 2Fe2O3 + 8SO2

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Pyro treatment prior
to Leaching

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Pyro treatment prior
to Leaching

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Smelting

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Pyro Method:
Smelting

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 Pyro Method:
Smelting
• Smelting of the product obtained after partly removing the sulphur
by roasting is done together with slag formers (sand) to remove
impurities like iron, zinc etc. The melted sulphide phase obtained is
called matte.
• A process of melting and separation of feed charge into two
immiscible liquid layers, i.e. liquid matte / metal and a liquid slag
• Two types of smelting: smelting for matte and smelting for metal
• Matte is defined as a molten mixture of sulphides of heavy metals.
• Liquid slag is the siliceous or oxidized part of the concentrate.
• Matte smelting is a concentrating stage in the extraction of metals from
sulphide ores.
• Flash-smelting is a more recent process where copper sulphide
concentrates is partly oxidised (roasted) and melted into a matte in
one process step.

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 Pyro Method:
Smelting
• Smelting - reduction of metal oxides to metals by
introduction of carbon (reductants) at high
temperatures above smelting point.
• Carbon monoxide reduce oxide to free metal.
• E.g.
Fe2O3+ 3C 2Fe + 3CO
Fe2O3+ 3CO 2Fe + 3CO2

Smelting is performed in blast furnace under

controlled air supply
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 Smelting:
Raw Materials

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 Smelting:
Raw Materials
Each raw material plays a special role towards obtaining a higher
yield in the smelting process. The raw materials may differ per
ore and metal of interest.

The following are used in the ferrochrome process:

Ore: source of the metal of interest.
Reductant: used to remove impurities from the ore.
Binder: to help bind the raw materials and strengthen the pellet.
Flux: they help to lower the energy requirement.
Limestone: used to help remove the rock gangue in a form of slag
from the metal.

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 Smelting:
Raw Materials
Ore Reductant Binder

Flux Limestone

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Smelting Process

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Smelting Product

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Smelting Process

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 Smelting Process:
Furnace Outlet

Metal and Slag outlet.

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Smelting Process:
Runner

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 Smelting Process:
Runner

Metal and Slag flow travelling through the runner.

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Smelting Process:
Laddle

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 Smelting Process: Granulation

Metal being poured for the granulation process.

Flawed co-ordination of ladle mouth and tundish.

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 Smelting Process: Casting

Bad quality control:

A lot of metal spillage due to lack of control from the operator.

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 Smelting Process:
Perfect Metal Taps

Perfect metal tap on the pans, no spillage.

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 Smelting:
Converting Process
• The conversion process is a: metallurgical smelting process
which treats molten metal sulphides for metal refining
purposes.
• In the converting process oxygen is blown through the
melted matte and the remaining sulphur is removed
leaving a metal phase.
• The metal phase will subsequently be further refined to
high purity metal and slag separately.

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Electrometallurgy

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 Extraction Methods
Metallurgical
Methods

Pyrometallurgy Hydrometallurgy Electrometallurgy

• Calcination • Leaching • Electrowinning

• Roasting • Purification • Electrorefining
• Smelting • Precipitation

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 Electrometallurgy
• Electrometallurgy is a method that uses electrical energy to
produce metals by electrolysis.
• Electrometallurgy is usually the last stage in metal production
and is therefore preceded by pyro- or hydrometallurgical
operations.
• The electrolysis can be done on a molten metal oxide (smelt
electrolysis) which is used for example to produce aluminium
from aluminium oxide via the Hall-Hérault process.
Electrolysis can be used as a:
• final refining stage in pyrometallurgical metal production
(electrorefining),
• also used for reduction of a metal from an aqueous metal salt
solution produced by hydrometallurgy (electrowinning).

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 Electrorefining
• Also known as electroextraction.
• Is a process which uses electrolysis as a form of further
upgrading or increasing the purity of a liquid metal extracted
from prior extraction processes such as leaching.
• It consist of an anode, which is a positive electrode, where the
impure metal is situated. At the beginning of the process.
• It also consist of a cathode, which is the negative electrode,
where the more pure metal will be obtained.

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Electrorefining

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 Electrometallurgy
• Major industrial process for smelting aluminium.
• It involves dissolving aluminium oxide (alumina) at 950
degrees Celsius in a molten electrolyte composed of
aluminium, sodium and fluorine (called cryolite) and
electrolyzing the molten salt bath, typically in a purpose –
built cell.
• This is electrolized to give aluminium metal at the
cathode and oxygen gas at the anode
• In the built cell:
– Carbon lined steel box – acts as the cathode
– Row of graphite into bath – serves as anode

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 Hall-Hérault Process
• The Hall-Hérault process is a major industrial process
mainly used to smelter aluminium.
• The process dissolves aluminium oxide (alumina) in
molten cryolite (Na3AlF6, sodium hexafluoroaluminate)
and electrolyses the molten.

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 Modern Industrial
Electrolysis Cell
The cell size has been
increased to
accommodate the
demands.

The vessel has now been

designed to resist:
• high temperatures
±950°C,
• chemical attack,
• wear from alumina
abrasive behaviour,
• reduce heat loss and
voltage drop from the
anodes.

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 Electrorefining
Examples
• In Electrorefining, an electrical current is passed through the
electrolyte which contains dissolved metals. This then results in
the dissolved metals depositing onto the cathode.
• Half-reactions and their relative positions on the standard
reduction potential table are crucial in these type of extraction
processes.

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 Electrometallurgy
• Electrometallurgy is a extraction process used when
dealing with more reactive metals.
• It deals with metal electrodeposition and there are four
categories namely:
❑ Electrowinning: extraction of metals.
❑ Electrorefining: purification of metals.
❑ Electroplating: deposition of a layer of one
metal on another.
❑ Electroforming: manufacture of thin metal
parts received from
electroplating.
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 Announcements
• Please note that there are two lectures this week.
• Ensure to download Lecture 13, which will be part of Test 2.
• There will be a tutorial this week on Thursday for those that still
want to consult. Please note that this will be the last tutorial…so
make it count.

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