METALLURGY
DEFINITION
HISTORY
Iron Age (2500 BC - 1200 BC)
iron (wrought), cast iron steel
Present Age
aluminum, plastics, ceramics, semiconductors...
Bronze Age (4500 BC)
Stone Age (7500 BC)
wood, stone, gold, silver, copper
copper, bronze
EVIDENCES
MATERIALS
artifacts
DOCUMENTS
De Re Metallica (On the Nature of Metals)
De La Pirotechnia (Concerning Pyrotechniques)
Metals upon which civilization was based
Silver
Lead
Copper
Iron
Gold
Mercury
Tin
"The art and science of extracting and refining metals from primary and secondary sources to characterize, process, and fabricate, for application and use at a profit and with utmost consideration of the environment"
Some Related Terms and Concepts
ORE
mineral deposit
METAL
MINERAL
naturally inorganic
inorganically formed
homogeneous solid
definite chemical composition
orderly crystalline structure
lustrous
conductor
malleable
GRADE
measure of concentration
CUTOFF GRADE
lowest grade
CONCENTRATE
GANGUE
no value
with value
METALS PROCESSING
UNIT OPERATIONS
UNIT PROCESSES
physical changes
chemical changes
MINERAL PROCESSING
METAL PURIFICATION
FORMING PROCESSES
FABRICATION TECHNIQUES
ORE DRESSING
EXTRACTION
RECOVERY
preparation
extraction of metal
production of metal
walls of prehistoric caves
Some types:
Native ores
Oxidized ores
Sulphide ores