Water-based techniques are widely used in minerals processing to separate valuable minerals and ore from less desirable materials. This comprehensive technical reference provides an overview of aqueous metallurgy and its applications in mineral processing operations. The text presents the physicochemical principles of various water-based processes.

Written as a text for college- and graduate-level instruction, the book presents the fundamental principles of water-based metallurgy. The author has taught these topics at the college level for more than 30 years, and this book summarizes his lecture notes and vast experience in mineral processing science. It is a valuable reference for those studying mineral processing, resource recovery, and the corrosion of metals and alloys. In addition, it’s a practical reference for environmental and chemical engineers, chemists, and mineral processing engineers who are responsible for mineral processing plant design and operations.

The book is divided into three broad sections:

• Chapter 1, Interfacial Phenomena—Reviews the chemical and physical reactions that occur at the solid-liquid interface. The text discusses the role of surface tension in separation processes, wetting phenomena, adsorption chemistry, electrical double-layer theories and their application in mineral separation, froth flotation, and colloidal stability.
• ·Chapter 2, Hydrometallurgy—Examines the intricate bridges that exist between hydrometallurgical processes and interfacial phenomena, solution thermodynamics, metallurgical kinetics, and reactor design. It includes discussions on solution chemistry, electrochemistry, leaching principles, and metal separation from leach liquor.
• Chapter 3, Metallurgical Kinetics—Focuses on metallurgical kinetics and reactor design using water-based media. The text presents fundamental aspects of reaction kinetic theories, heterogeneous kinetics, and reactor design.

To enhance learning and provide practical experience, each chapter closes with a series of homework problems based on the various concepts presented. Solutions to the problems, including full explanations, are provided at the back of the book.

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