CHEMICAL METALLURGY (3.03)
Thermodynamic and kinetic principles along with aspects of process control and
economics involved in extraction and processing of metals. Application of
computer softwares for analyzing Unit operations and processes. Generalized
operations in terms of gas-liquid, solid-solid, gas-solid, liquid-liquid, and
gas-solid-liquid reactions. Concepts involved in designing metallurgical
reactors. Electrochemical processes.
- Use of Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Metals Production
- Stoichiometry, material balance and energy balance
- Free energy data and its application, phase rule
Ellingham diagrams of oxides, chlorides, sulfides, nitrides and carbides
Pourbaix diagrams
- Homogenous and heterogeneous reactions, rate laws, temperature effects on
reaction kinetics,
nucleation and growth, mass transfer and diffusion steps involved in reactions
and use of dimensionless numbers to analyze reaction kinetics.
- Pure melts, solutions, activity, standard state and alternate standard
states and structure
Molten metals, molten glasses, slags, mattes and molten salts
- Gas-solid reactions
Roasting, calcination, gaseous and direct reduction, decomposition, vapor
deposition of metals.
- Gas-liquid reactions
Bessemer and AOD processes for steelmaking, Degassing processes for liquid
metals
Distillation processes for recovering metals, Fire refining processes.
- Combination of gas-solid and gas-liquid reactions
Smelting and converting (iron, copper and lead), Kroll process (Ti and Zr
production).
- Liquid-liquid reactions
Slag metal refining reactions, Electroslag remelting process reactions.
- Solid-liquid reactions
Zone refining, Melt-container interactions (slag/refractory and molten
metal/refractory).
- Reactor Design.
- Reactor types
Batch, well mixed, plug flow and some vapor deposition reactors.
- Fluid flow, heat transfer and residence time considerations in designing
reactors.
- Electrochemical Processes
- Galvanic cells vs. electrolysis cells, concept of half cell reactions,
electrode potentials and pH or concentration vs. E diagrams.
- Dissolution, purification and recovery through precipitation in aqueous and
non-aqueous systems using pH or concentration vs. E diagrams.
- Purification through electrorefining and recovery through electrowinning.
- Electrochemical transport and electrode reaction kinetics.
- Process Control
- Various physical and chemical sensors used in process control.
- Process control with reference to steelmaking.
- Designing Energy Efficient and Environmentally Sound Processes.
- Class Discussion (last week).
Prof. Uday Pal