Article
Article
Hydrometallurgy
Article By:
Cooper, W. Charles Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.330200
The extraction and recovery of metals from their ores by processes in which aqueous solutions play a predominant role. Two distinct processes are involved in hydrometallurgy: putting the metal values in the ore into solution via the operation known as leaching; and recovering the metal values from solution, usually after a suitable solution purification or concentration step, or both. The scope of hydrometallurgy is quite broad and extends beyond the processing of ores to the treatment of metal concentrates, metal scrap and revert materials, and intermediate products in metallurgical processes. Hydrometallurgy enters into the production of practically all nonferrous metals and of metalloids, such as selenium and tellurium.
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