WHICH METAL CANNOT BE EXTRACTED BY HYDROMETALLURGY?

Introduction 

Hydrometallurgy is a chemical process of extracting and recovering metals that can be used in terms of extracting metals based on an aqueous reaction. The process is significant in order to extract raw metal from its aqueous reactions. In this assignment, a detailed discussion of hydrometallurgy is discussed that can outline the procedure of extracting metals through the process. Further, the study is going to discuss the process of hydrometallurgy along with the extraction of metals through this process. Further, the assignment is going to provide details about the refining process of metals through hydrometallurgy along with valid examples based on the actual process.   

Body 

What is hydrometallurgy? 

Hydrometallurgy is a chemical-based metallurgy method that can conduct extraction and separation of metals based on the aqueous medium. The process of hydrometallurgy is commonly used in terms of recovering metals from ores and recycling residual materials successfully. The process of hydrometallurgy is commonly used with aqueous solutions that enable the process to recover metals from ores. Processes like leaching can be used as an effective procedure for dissolute metals with the help of aqueous solutions. Further, this process can be referred to as an agile chemical-based procedure that metallurgists use in order to retrieve valuable metals from ores. 

Process of hydrometallurgy 

Hydrometallurgy involves an extensive process of chemical-based solutions and recycling that makes it effective, especially in terms of retrieving metals from ores. First, it needs to collect some aqueous solutions that have the capability to turn ores into metals successfully. Further, the process involves concentration on the residual materials along with the recycling process. The process then involves a passion for electropositive metals or less reactive metals that can start the procedure of retrieving successfully. The processes of hydrometallurgy involve three significant steps that are gaseous reduction, electrolysis and precipitation. Among these processes, the pressure within the steps is generally 80 to 10 degrees with kPa oxygen pressure. 

What is leaching in metallurgy? 

Leaching in metallurgy is a process of constituents’ solid materials that are generally released into a water phase that is commonly contacted. The primary procedure of leaching involves physical reactions along with the usage of internal chemical and external stress. Further, it also involves physical degradation and cracking procedure which eventually enables the process to retrieve metals from ores successfully. Additionally, the leaching process also involves contamination and partitioning between liquid and solid phases of metals that get started when transported within an aqueous constituent successfully.  

Which metal is extracted by hydrometallurgy? 

Hydrometallurgy is a renowned process of extracting gold and silver with its key chemical-based procedure. Apart from these two metals, zinc and copper can also be extracted through hydrometallurgy. Gold and silver are mostly predominant in terms of getting extracted by the process of hydrometallurgy. Similarly to these two metals, zinc and copper are also common in terms of extraction through hydrometallurgy. Besides these metals, iron can also be extracted through hydrometallurgy. On the other hand, iron can also be extracted through pyrometallurgy which can also be used instead of hydrometallurgy according to chemical-based processes.

Refining process of metals through hydrometallurgy 

In terms of conducting the refining process, hydrometallurgy involves selective leaching of metallic compounds that are derived from chemical solutions. In the process of refining, metals can be recovered and precipitated. Leaching can also be used in its simplest method whenever the low-grade ore kicks in through expensive extractive processes. Further, leaching also involves the dissolution of valuable metals with the help of aqueous solutions. There are three significant steps involved in the refining process through leaching. The steps are:

• Leaching

• Solution purification and concentration

• Metal recovery 

Examples of hydrometallurgy 

Hydrometallurgy is used with the process of gaseous reduction, electrolysis and precipitation. One of the major examples of hydrometallurgy involves extracting copper from ores through convenient electrolysis. Apart from that, these can also be effective in terms of reducing contamination within metals and from zinc and copper successfully. 

Conclusion 

Hydrometallurgy is one of the celebrated ways to retrieve valuable metals from ores that are not usable in real-time. Metals like silver, zinc, iron, gold and copper are mostly retrieved with the help of this process. Among all the significant steps within this process, electrolysis appears as the most effective process that enables metallurgists to extract metals successfully from ores. In conclusion, it can be finally said that despite the success of other chemical-based retrieving processes of metals, hydrometallurgy appears an effective procedure that has the capability to conveniently obtain quality metals from unusable ores. Further, it can also be said that along with the usage of pyrometallurgy, the intervention of hydrometallurgy is successful in terms of compound extraction of metals in a successful and agile way. Conclusively, it can be said that hydrometallurgy provides metallurgists with the liberty to separate ores and metals successfully which eventually stands out as one of the effective processes for extracting gold, silver, zinc and copper successfully.