411-449 Minerals Engineering

411-332 Particle Mechanics and Processing, 411-333 Thermodynamics and Reactor Engineering 2

Students successfully completing this unit should understand the nature and variety of the processes involved in the mineral processing industry and be able to apply thermodynamics, rate phenomena and reactor engineering principles to the analysis, design and simulation of metallurgical processes.

Content: Survey of metallurgical processes and unit operations, metallurgical terminology and calculations. Process mineralogy, mineral liberation, froth flotation, hydrometallurgical processing, mineral processing circuit design, coal preparation. Advanced aspects of physico-chemical principles of oxide and sulphide smelting. Properties of slags and important phase diagrams. Physico-chemical principles of metal refining and application. Bath smelting. Environmental control. Mathematical and physical modelling of metallurgical processes. Simulation of pyrometallurgical processes such as reduction of oxides, roasting of sulphides, hydrometallurgical processes, bath smelting and heat flow in metal treatment processes.

One class test during the semester contributing 20% to the final mark and an examination not exceeding three hours at the end of Semester 2 contributing 80% to the final mark.