Explores the fundamentals as well as the latest applications in hydrometallurgy

With its unique blend of fundamentals, methods, and applications, this text provides a college-level introduction and overview of hydrometallurgy, the chemical processing of metals in aqueous solutions. The author provides an expertly organized collection of information and analytical tools for effective and efficient extraction, concentration, and recovery of metals from ores, concentrates, and recycled or residual materials. Moreover, readers will discover a broad range of hydrometallurgical methods that are both environmentally responsible and economically feasible.

This text explores several essential topics that are generally not covered extensively in other hydrometallurgy texts, including aqueous electrometallurgy, aqueous corrosion, environmental hydrometallurgy, and metal utilization in aqueous media. In addition, the text covers such topics as:

• Speciation and phase diagrams
• Rate processes in aqueous metal processing
• Aqueous metal extraction and leaching
• Metal concentration processes
• Selective aqueous metal recovery phases
• Process design principles for aqueous processing of metals

Hydrometallurgy also covers environmental regulations as well as remediation technologies. Detailed examples as well as illustrations throughout the chapters help readers fully grasp complex concepts and apply them in practice. At the end of the text, a group of appendices brings together valuable reference materials, including atomic weights, important constants, conversion factors, and laboratory calculations.

Hydrometallurgy is written for students and professional engineers who use, produce, concentrate, or remove metals processed in aqueous media. The text’s coverage of the fundamentals is ideal for readers new to the field, while its coverage of advanced topics enables more experienced engineers to take full advantage of the latest applications in hydrometallurgy.

MICHAEL L. FREE, PhD, is Professor of Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Utah. Dr. Free’s research sheds new light on metal processing and interactions in aqueous media. He has been the principal investigator for fifty research projects funded by the Department of Energy, Office of Naval Research, National Science Foundation, and various private corporations. Dr. Free has also authored or coauthored more than 100 publications.