Introduction to extractive metallurgy

Over the past half-century, extractive metallurgy has steadily progressed from a traditional technique to a highly advanced one. Indeed, any metal can become an industrial metal if the need arises. Consequently, there have been successful attempts to relate the differences between known metallurgies and the properties of the metals they extract. One of these differences, which reflects the specific nature of a metal, is the free enthalpy of formation of oxides and halides. Metals can thus be grouped into two groups: the group of metals that are reactive towards a given metalloid, when the free enthalpy of formation is high, and, conversely, the group of non-reactive metals, when the free enthalpy of formation is moderate. This has enabled extractive metallurgy to make ever greater use of scientific data, and thus to understand and control chemical phenomena. Finally, as a metallurgical apparatus is a device for separating metal from gangue elements, the properties of the various molten products are the subject of this introduction.