Hydromineralurgy

Code:

MEMG0010

Acronym:

HM

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Technology and Applied Sciences

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M.EMG	7	Plano de estudos oficial a partir de 2008/09	1	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Portuguese
Obs.: Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

- Knowledge: Recall basic concepts related to material balance in biphasic systems (solid-liquid); General concepts of chemistry;
- Comprehension: Recognize, express and identify the unit operations involved in a hydrometallurgical process;
- Application: To discriminate the field of application of different technologies: to select the most appropriate technology for a particular case;
- Analysis: To calculate the materials balance in steady-state using analytical, numerical and graphical methods for each unit operation;
- Synthesis: Create and organize coherent process flowsheets for each unit operation and for the process as a whole;
-Evaluation: Compare different process alternatives.

Learning outcomes and competences

Ability to:
- Caracterize the raw material to be processed by hydrometallurgy;
- Compare different process alternatives.
- Selecte the most apropriate to each situation;
- Determine the most relevant project parameters;
- Design a flowsheet for each unit operation and for the whole hydrometallurgical  process.

Working method

Presencial

Program

LEACHING: Introduction: Mass balances – General principles. The diffusion - Fick Laws. Basic concepts: calculations involving biphasic systems (pulps) and extraction recovery. Leaching theory: diffusional and chemical control. Effect of agitation, temperature, concentration, phase ratio and interface geometry. Dynamic Leaching. Heap leaching. In-situ leaching. Bio-leaching. Pressure leaching. Electro-leaching. Examples: Hydrometallurgy of gold, aluminium, copper and uranium. SOLID-LIQUID SEPARATION: Introduction and objectives. Continuous washing: by repulping using either thickeners or filters in a counter-current arrangement. Continuous washing with diffusion in counter-current arrangements. Filtration: basic equation of filtration; selection and design of a filter. Description of the main types of filters. Clarification, Flocculation and coagulation. ENRICHMENT AND PURIFICATION: Ion exchange: Equilibrium and isotherms. Reaction kinetics. Ion Exchange in a fixed bed. Elution. Poisons. Basic concepts in a continuous ion exchange process. Technology Adsorption by activated carbon. Properties. Mechanisms of adsorption in activated carbon. Its preparation. Stripping. Technology. Applications. Solvent Extraction: Basic theory. Extraction systems: (a) chelating extractants, (b) acidic extractants, (c) systems involving ionic association (d) systems involving solvatation. Composition of the organic phase. Extraction technology. Number of stages. Equipment. Finishing: Ionic Precipitation: formation of a precipitate, aggregation, orientation and supersaturation. Nucleation. Co-precipitation by adsorption, formation of solid solutions and occlusion. Crystallization, cementation, gaseous precipitation and electrolysis.

Mandatory literature

António Fiúza; Hidromineralurgia, 2011
Emilío Gómez, Fernendo Urbina, Antonio Pérez e António Chaparro; Mineria Química, 1993. ISBN: Instituto Tecnologico GeoMinero de España

Teaching methods and learning activities

THEORETICAL-PRACTICAL CLASSES - Presentation of the main concepts and their technological application. APPLICATION CLASSES (8 classes) - Resolution of selected problems. LABORATORY CLASSES (5 classes) - in this classes 8 laboratory works will be carried out. They have to be done on the scheduled time and not on any other time. Each laboratory assignment comprises a report and if one of the assignments is not handed in, students will earn a zero.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	10,00
Trabalho laboratorial	15,00
Exame	70,00
Participação presencial	5,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	10,00
Estudo autónomo	86,00
Frequência das aulas	56,00
Trabalho laboratorial	10,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Students have to be present in at least 75% of the theoretical-practical and  laboratorial practical class taughtand reach minimum grade of 7 out of 20 in continuos assessement

Calculation formula of final grade

AC - Continuous assessment - 30%
FA - Final exam - 70%

The continuous assessement will be calculated using the formula:

AC = 0,15*laboratory reports + 0,05* attendance + 0,10* assessment test

Final Grade (NF) will be calculated using the formula:

NF =0,3*AC+0,7*NT

To complete the course unit, students have to reach a minimum grade of 7 out of 20 in  Final Exam.

Examinations or Special Assignments

- Eight laboratory assignment
- Test

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Final exam (1st Call and/or 2nd Call).

Classification improvement

Students may only improve their grades by attending a final exam. Students may not improve the grade of the continuous assessment component.