Extractive Metallurgy

Abstract

Metal is extracted from ores. The main factors which determine whether a particular mineral is an ore of the metal are a)the percentage metal content b)the cost of extraction c) the market price. Broadly, the ore consists of mainly two parts: Metal and Gangue (impurities). The metal is usually reduced from their oxides (ores). The separation of the metal from their impurities is carried out in the extraction the metal. The entire process is known as extractive metall-urgy. The metal can be extracted by different methods. They are classified into the following categories: a) Pyro metlallurgy b) Hydrometallurgy and c) Electrometallurgy