Pyrometallurgy 2 METE 156 N

Pyrometallurgical processes may be used to achieve the process aims at separation, compound
formation, metal production and metal purification.

Metal Production
Feed material for most metal production operations are:
Metal oxides, sulphides or halides.
To reduce most metal oxides, sulphide, halides to their metals:
Req. very low oxygen pressure (not attainable even with the best of the present vacuum)
How can metal production be achieved?
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What is a reducing agent?
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i.)

METAL PRODUCTION FROM METAL OXIDES

Important consideration: Oxygen partial pressure created by the presence of the reducing agent be below
that in equilibrium with the metal oxide to be reduced.
Carbon:
Basis: _________________________________________________________________________
Hydrogen:
Basis: _________________________________________________________________________

Refer to Figure 5.4.1.

Carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide:
Basis: _________________________________________________________________________

Case 1: The reduction of iron oxides

The most commonly used iron ore is in the form of hematite, Fe2O3. In the presence of CO/CO2 gas
mixtures, the oxide may be reduced to iron in a number of stages, ie.
3Fe2O3(s) + CO(g) 2Fe3O4(s) + CO2(g)
Fe3O4(s) + CO(g) 3FeO(s) + CO2(g)
FeO(s) + CO(g) Fe(s) + CO2(g)
Note: a critical Co/CO2 ration in the gas mixture must be exceeded reaction will proceed. Refer to
Figure 5.4.2.

Discuss the production of iron metal: (Refer to Figure 5.4.3)

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Heat Requirement for Iron Metal Production:

Heat is supplied to the furnace through the combustion of the carbon and the
sensible heat of the air.
This heat input must be balance the heat absorbed in:
- Direct reduction (gasification reaction)
- Heating the reaction gases
- Heating and melting the iron and gangue
- Heat of solution of carbon in iron
- Heat of reduction of impurities from the slag
- Thermal losses through the furnace shell
Note: increasing the thermal requirement of the furnace increasing the carbon rat, kg C
(t Fe)-1. Why? ________________________________________________

ii.)

METAL PRODUCTION FROM METAL SULPHIDES

G = RTlnps2 . (kJ mol-1S2)

Examine the free energies of formation of suphides:

Describe Figure 5.4.5: __________________________________________________________________

The question now then is
How is the Sulphur being removed from metal sulphides? _________________________________

Case 2: The production of copper from sulphide melts:

Commonly carried out in a Pierce-Smith Converter.

iii.)

METAL PRODUCTION FROM METAL HALIDES

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Offered a number of processing advantages especially for metals having a high

affinity for oxygen.
Why? ____________________________________________________

Reduction of halides by hydrogen may be carried out using similar techniques to

those described in the oxide and sulphide system:
Complications: solid or liquid chlorides may have high vapour pressures
or may react to form volatile halide products.
How is it a complication then? ______________________

Metallothermic reaction: the most common method used for the redactive
metals.

Case 3: The production of titanium metal

Kroll Reactor: used for the commercial production of titanium and zirconium
The reduction reaction:
TiCl4(l) + 2Mg(l)

Ti(s) + 2MgCl2(l)

Exothermic, and produces heat to maintain at reaction temperature of 800-1000C.