SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY

METALLURGY
U DAYA P PA N .V
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
METALLURGY
• Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and
engineering that studies the physical and chemical
behaviour of metallic elements their intermetallic
compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys.
• Metallurgy is subdivided into ferrous
metallurgy (sometimes also known as black metallurgy)
and non-ferrous metallurgy or coloured metallurgy. Ferrous
metallurgy involves processes and alloys based
on iron while non-ferrous metallurgy involves processes
and alloys based on other metals.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
METALLURGY- ORE
• An ore is an occurrence of rock or sediment that
contains sufficient minerals with economically
important elements, typically metals, that can be
economically extracted from the deposit.
• The ores must be processed to extract the elements
of interest from the waste rock and from
the ore minerals.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
METALLURGY-MINERAL
• A mineral may be defined as any naturally occurring
inorganic solid that has a definite chemical composition
(that can vary only within specified limits) and possesses a
crystalline structure.

• The study of minerals is known as mineralogy, which dates

back to prehistory.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORE AND MINERAL
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ORE MINERAL
• All ores are minerals. • All minerals are not a ores.
• Ores are mineral deposits. • Mineral is a native form in
(Ore contains minerals.) which metals exist.
• Ores are used to extract
metals economically.
Therefore, in ores, large • Minerals are more of
amount of metals are scientific importance.
present.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORE AND MINERAL

ORE MINERAL
• Aluminium is extracted • Basically, clay is an alumina
from its ore silicate and the formula is
bauxite Al2O3⋅Nh2o Al2O3 2SiO2 2H2O, but it is
never found in pure form.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
EXTRACTION OF ORE OR MINERALS
• GRAVITY-SEPARATION :
• This method is especially suitable for heavy 'oxide' ores like
haematite, tinstone, etc.

• In this, the powdered ore is placed on a sloping floor (or

platform) and washed by directing on it a strong current of water.

• The lighter sandy, and earthy impurities are washed away; while
the heavier ore particles are left behind.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY GRAVITY-SEPARATION PROCESS
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY GRAVITY-SEPARATION PROCESS

Reasons for using Gravity Separation

1.To reject barren waste as an initial pre-
concentration step
2. To recover malleable and/or friable coarse heavy
minerals from grinding circuit circulating
loads. Such minerals are otherwise hard to recover
after regrinding
3. To pre-concentrate heavy minerals to minimize
downstream processing costs
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY GRAVITY-SEPARATION PROCESS
4. To concentrate heavy minerals

5. To clean low weight yield bulk concentrates

6. To scavenging plant tailings

7. To generate a precious metal concentrate that can go direct to

refinery rather than a smelter.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
FROTH FLOTATION PROCESS
• Froth flotation is a process for selectively
separating hydrophobic materials from hydrophilic.
• This is used in mineral processing, paper
recycling and waste-water treatment industries.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
FROTH FLOTATION PROCESS
• This method is especially suitable for sulphide ores
like zinc blende (ZnS), and copper pyrites (CuFeS2).

• This process is based on the fact that the sulphide

ore particles are only moistened by oil, while those
of oxide, and gangue particles are moistened only
by water
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
FROTH FLOTATION PROCESS
• In this process, the powdered ore is mixed with
water and a little pine oil (a foaming agent) and the
whole mixture is then stirred vigorously by blowing
compressed air.

• The oil forms a foam (or froth) with air.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
FROTH FLOTATION PROCESS
• The ore particles stick to the froth, which rises to the
surface; while the rocky, and earthy impurities
(gangue) are left in water.

• The froth is skimmed off, collected, and allowed to

subside to get concentrated ore.
 FROTH FLOTATION PROCESS
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SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
MAGNETIC SEPARATION PROCESS
• Magnetic separation is a process in which magnetically
susceptible material is extracted from a mixture using a
magnetic force. This separation technique can be useful in
mining iron as it is attracted to a magnet.
• Example :
wolframite (Tungsten) was mixed with cassiterite (
Tin)
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY MAGNETIC SEPARATION PROCESS
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
MAGNETIC SEPARATION PROCESS
• This method is meant for separating magnetic impurities
from non-magnetic ore particles, e.g., tinstone (a tin ore)
in which tinstone is non- magnetic.
• while impurities iron, manganese and tungstates are
magnetic.
• The powdered ore (containing the associated magnetic
impurities) is made to fall (from a hopper) on a belt moving
over electromagnetic roller.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
MAGNETIC SEPARATION PROCESS
• The magnetic impurities fall from the belt in a heap
near the magnet, due to attraction; while the non-
magnetic concentrated ore falls in separate heap,
away from the magnet, due to the influence of
centrifugal force
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
MAGNETIC SEPARATION PROCESS
 CHEMICAL-METHOD
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CHEMICAL-METHOD:
• It is a chemical method for the concentration of the
ore. In this process the powdered ore is dissolved
selectively in certain acids, bases or other suitable
reagents. The impurities remain insoluble as Sludge.
• The solution of ore is filtered and ore is recovered by
precipitation or crystallization.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
CHEMICAL-METHOD
• This method is employed in case where the ore is to
be in a very pure form, e.g., aluminium extraction.

• Bauxite (Al2O3), an ore of aluminium, contains

SiO2 and Fe2O3 as impurities.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
CHEMICAL-METHOD
• When bauxite ore is treated with NaOH, the Al2O3 goes
into solution as sodium meta-aluminate leaving behind the
undissolved impurities [Fe2O3, SiO2, Fe(OH)3,etc.], which
are then filtered off.
• Al2O3 + 2NaOH + 2NaAlO2 - - > H 2O

• Sod. meta. aluminates (In solution form)

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
CHEMICAL-METHOD
• The filtrate (containing sodium meta-aluminate) on dilution,
and stirring gives a precipitate of aluminium hydroxide, which is
filtered, and ignited to get pure alumina.

• NaAlO2 + 2H 2O - > Al(OH)3 (ppt)+ NaOH

• 2Al(OH)3 -> Al2O3(Pure ) + 3H 2O

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
SEPRATION OF NICKEL
Mond process
• The Mond process, sometimes known as the
carbonyl process, is a technique created by
Ludwig Mond in 1890, to extract and purify nickel.
• The impure nickel reacts with carbon monoxide at
50–60 °C to form the gas nickel carbonyl, leaving the
impurities as solids.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
SEPRATION OF NICKEL
1. Nickel typically comes in the form of nickel oxide, with
other impurities.

2. Nickel oxide reacts with Syngas at 200 °C to give nickel,

together with impurities including iron and cobalt.

NiO(s) + H2(g) → Ni(s) + H2O(g)2.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
SEPRATION OF NICKEL
. The impure nickel reacts with carbon monoxide at 50–60 °C to form
the gas nickel carbonyl, leaving the impurities as solids.

Ni(s) + 4 CO(g) → Ni(CO)4(g)3.

4. The mixture of nickel carbonyl and Syngas is heated to 220–

250 °C, resulting in decomposition back to nickel and carbon
monoxide:

Ni(CO)4(g) → Ni(s) + 4 CO(g)

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
APPLICATIONS OF NICKEL
Applications

• The Mond process is used to get pure nickel, which can be

used in a variety of applications.

• For rechargeable batteries, it is used in a powder form and

in the battery it combines with other metals to form a
reaction.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
REFINING PROCESS FOR LEAD
Betts electro refining process for lead :
The electrolyte for this process is a mixture of lead
fluorosilicate (PbSiF6) and hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6)
operating at 45 °C (113 °F). Cathodes are thin sheets of
pure lead and anodes are cast from the impure lead to be
purified.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
REFINING PROCESS FOR LEAD
• A potential of 0.5 volts is applied. At the anode,
lead dissolves into solution, as do metal
impurities that are less noble than lead.

• Impurities that are more noble than lead, such as

silver, gold, and bismuth, flake from the anode as
it dissolves and settle to the bottom of the vessel
as "anode mud.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
REFINING PROCESS FOR LEAD
• Pure metallic lead plates on to the cathode, with the
less noble metals remaining in solution.
• This process is used only when very pure lead is
needed.
ZONE REFINING PROCESS
Zone refining:
This method is based on the principle that impurities are more soluble
in the molten state of metal (the melt) than in the solid state.
In the process of zone refining, a circular mobile heater is fixed at one
end of a rod of impure metal. As the heater moves, the molten zone
of the rod also moves along with it.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
ZONE REFINING PROCESS
• As a result, pure metal crystallizes out of the melt and the
impurities pass to the adjacent molten zone.

• This process is repeated several times, which leads to the

segregation of impurities at one end of the rod.

• Then, the end with the impurities is cut off. Silicon, boron, gallium,
indium etc. can be purified by this process.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
ZONE REFINING PROCESS
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
ELECTROLYTIC REFINING PROCESS

Electrolytic refining :
• It is the process of refining impure metals by using
electricity.
• In this process, impure metal is made the anode and
a strip of pure metal is made the cathode.
• A solution of a soluble salt of the same metal is
taken as the electrolyte.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
ELECTROLYTIC REFINING PROCESS
• When an electric current is passed, metal ions from the
electrolyte are deposited at the cathode as pure metal and
the impure metal from the anode dissolves into the
electrolyte in the form of ions.

• The impurities present in the impure metal gets collected

below the anode. This is known as anode mud.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
ELECTROLYTIC REFINING PROCESS
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
ELECTROLYTIC REFINING PROCESS
• The process of electrolytic refining of metals is used to
extract impurities from crude metals. (crude metal is used
as anode, a diluted salt of that metal is used as electrolyte
and plates of that pure metal is used as cathode.)
• The metals like copper, silver, gold, aluminium, tin, etc., are
refined by electrolysis.
• Compounds like NaOH, KOH, Na2CO3 KCIO3, white lead,
KMnO4, etc., are manufactured by electrolysis.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
EXTRACTION OF TITANIUM AND ZIRCONIUM
• Van Arkel Method:
• Crude metal is heated with a suitable substance so that the
pure metal present in it may be converted into stable
volatile compound leaving behind impurities.

• The compound so formed is then decomposed by heating

to get the pure metal.
 EXTRACTION OF TITANIUM AND ZIRCONIUM
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• Van Arkels method is used to purify crude titanium

metal. It is heated with iodine to about 500K to form
volatile compound.

• Til4 leaving behind the impurities .Til4 is further

heated to 1700K when it decomposes to give pure
titanium.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY EXTRACTION OF TITANIUM AND ZIRCONIUM
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
EXTRACTION OF SILVER AND GOLD
Extraction of Silver by cyanide process :
• Silver also occurs both in combined state as well as in
free state.
• The important ores of silver are: Argentite (Ag2S), silver
glance, Horn silver, Ruby silver.
(The silver ores are found along with gold ores in some
parts of India.)
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
EXTRACTION OF SILVER AND GOLD
• Silver is extracted from the ore-argentite (Ag2S).
• The process of extraction of silver is called as
cyanide process as sodium cyanide solution is used.
• The ore is crushed, concentrated and then treated
with sodium cyanide solution.
• This reaction forms sodium argento
cyanide Na[Ag(CN)2].
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
EXTRACTION OF SILVER AND GOLD
• Ag2 S + 4NaCN ⇌ 2Na[Ag(CN)2] + Na2S
• The solution of sodium argento cyanide combines with zinc
dust and forms sodium tetra cyano zincate and precipitated
silver.
• This precipitated silver is called spongy silver.
Zn + 2 Na[Ag(CN)2] → Na2[Zn(CN)4] + 2Ag
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
EXTRACTION OF SILVER AND GOLD
• The spongy silver is fused with potassium nitrate to
obtain pure silver.
• Then the silver obtained is purified by electrolytic
process.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
DESILVERIZING PROCESS
PATTINSON PROCESS :
• A process of desilverizing argentiferous lead by

repeated melting's and skimming's,

which concentrate the silver
in the molten bath, the final skimmings being nearly
pure lead.( invented in 1833 by Pattinson )
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
DESILVERIZING PROCESS
PARKES PROCESS :
• The Parkes process is a pyro metallurgical industrial
process for removing silver from lead during the
production of bullion.(Gold or silver in bulk before coining,
or valued by weight.)
• It is an example of liquid–liquid extraction.
• The process takes advantage of two liquid-state properties
of zinc.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
DESILVERIZING PROCESS
• The first is that zinc is immiscible with lead, and the
other is that silver is 3000 times more soluble in zinc
than it is in lead.
• When zinc is added to liquid lead that contains silver
as a contaminant, the silver preferentially migrates
into the zinc. Because the zinc is immiscible in the
lead it remains in a separate layer and is easily
removed.
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY
DESILVERIZING PROCESS
• The zinc-silver solution is then heated until the zinc
vaporizes, leaving nearly pure silver. If gold is present
in the liquid lead, it can also be removed and
isolated by the same process
SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY