Principles of Non Ferrous

Extraction Metallurgy
Lecture 2 30th July, 2015
 Information, Principles and logic
• Flow sheet (Information)
• Chemical equation (Information)
• Why certain things are done in one way and
not in another way?
• Logic is if group of metals present in nature in
one form than process can be understood for
its extraction
 This can be achieved through:
• Fundamental principles
• Using application of thermodynamics and
kinetics
• Understanding energy and environment
related issues
 Difference between chemist and
Process Metallurgist
• TiCl4(l) + 2Mg(l) @800 deg C gives you Ti(s) +
MgCl2(l)…produces spongy (powder like) metal
called as Kroll’s Process..(Termolecular)
• TiCl4(g) + 4Na(g) @ 1000 deg C gives you Ti(s) +
4NaCl(l)..produces crystalline metal (can be
rolled and sheet can be made) called as Hunter’s
Process….
…question arises in such reaction what is
probability for gaseous constituent to collide and
form solid phase
Mechanism of reaction..in gaseous phase
 Probable reactions..
• Na+ TiCl4= TiCl3+ NaCl
• TiCl3+ Na= TiCl2+ NaCl
• 2TiCl2 = Ti + TiCl4
Traces of Intermediate products
• 2TiCl3=TiCl2+TiCl4 are observed in Hunter’s Process
• 2Na+TiCl2=Ti+2TiCl3
• 2Na+TiCl4=TiCl2+2NaCl
• 4TiCl3=Ti+3TiCl4
• 3Na+TiCl3=Ti +3NaCl
Catch is TiCl4 reduction is not taking place in vapor
phase…it is taking place in NaCl solution (liquid
phase)
 Further…
• Ti is produced by electrochemical reaction and
not by atom by atom where you get particle or
spongy form.
• In electrochemical reaction you get crystalline
film which grows in form of bulk crystalline that
can be further processed.

Therefore in process metallurgy only writing

reaction is not useful…one has to understand
mechanism behind the formation of product.
 Another example…
• 3Fe2O3+ 6Al= 3Al2O3 + 6Fe..ignite small part
to 900 deg C, this is aluminothermic reduction
..which is exothermic.
• Reaction is autogenous
• Reaction is sometimes explosive
• Application thermit process: weld cracks in
railway track using suitable mold…this is spot
solution to rail site..
 Is this reaction energy favorable?
• Compare energy required to produce Al
• Secondly, you are using energy intensive Al to
produce Al2O3..
• This does not energy favorable process
• Here Process fuel equivalent (PFE) > than
exothermic heat produced by the reaction
• PFE is the energy equivalent used to produce
pure metal from its source
Ex: From raw material to metal
Process Fuel Equivalent: Important Parameter
 Interestingly…..
• most of the non-ferrous metal which is used
by ferrous industry are in form of Ferro alloys
• You don’t add pure Ni, Cr to during Steel
making to make stainless steel. Why?
• Therefore for industries it is very easy to
produce Ferro alloys rather than pure metal
than finds immediate application.
 Ferrous Vs. Non Ferrous

• Gold is for the mistress -- silver for the maid --

Copper for the craftsman cunning at his
trade." "Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his
hall, "But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of them
all.“
• 85 to 90% of structural application relies on
steel
 Application for Non Ferrous metal
• Aero plane, Space craft: Ti based super alloys,
Al based alloys
• Electrical application, interconnects : Copper,
Silver
• Automobile: Mg based alloys
• Precious metal for catalyst: Au, Ag, Pt, Pd
 For your information…Accidental
discovery of Cu
• First discovered in Egypt
• Malachite: CuCO3.Cu(OH)2
• In Rituals fall into fire
• Carbon combines with malachite
• MP of Cu∼ 1100 deg C..you require bellows to
go above 900 deg C
• By controlling and understanding nature of
reaction Cu was made