Non-ferrous metal mining

The non-ferrous metals industry includes geological exploration, mining, beneficiation, smelting and processing departments. The content of non-ferrous metals in ore is generally low, and in order to obtain 1 ton of non-ferrous metals, it is often necessary to extract ore that is more than 100 tons and even more than 10,000 tons. Therefore, the mine is an important foundation for the development of the non-ferrous metal industry. Non-ferrous metal ores are often symbiosis with multiple metals. Therefore, it is necessary to rationally extract and recover useful components and make comprehensive use of them so as to make rational use of natural resources. Many kinds of rare metals, precious metals and sulfuric acid and other chemical products are recovered during the processing of non-ferrous metal ores or intermediate products, as well as slag and smoke. Non-ferrous metal production usually produces a large amount of waste gas, waste water and waste residue, which contains a variety of useful components, sometimes containing toxic substances, some non-ferrous metals are also toxic. Therefore, in the production of non-ferrous metals, we must pay attention to comprehensive utilization and environmental protection.

Non-ferrous metal production capacity

Compared with the production of steel, in general, non-ferrous metal production requires more energy.

According to statistics, if the energy consumption per ton of steel produced from ore production is 100, magnesium is 1127, aluminum is 767, nickel is 455, copper is 352, and zinc is 206. Therefore, in the non-ferrous metal industry, the problem of reducing energy consumption is very prominent. In the process of mining, beneficiation, smelting, processing and regeneration of non-ferrous metals, there are many extraction methods available. As far as the smelting process is concerned, it is usually divided into pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy. Pyro-metallurgy generally has the ability to process concentrates, can use the heat of combustion of sulfur in sulphide ore, and can economically recover valuable metals, rare metals, etc.; however, it is often difficult to achieve good environmental protection. Hydrometallurgy is commonly used to treat polymetallic ore, low-grade ore and refractory ore, and electro-metallurgy is suitable for the production of more active metals such as aluminum, magnesium and sodium. These methods are to be used selectively or in combination with the mineral composition being treated. In order to strengthen the smelting process of non-ferrous metals, a series of new technologies, new methods and new equipment have been developed, such as high pressure leaching, fluidized roasting, organic solvent extraction, ion exchange, metallothermic reduction, zone smelting, vacuum metallurgy, injection Metallurgy, plasma metallurgy, chlorinating metallurgy, and continuous casting and rolling, isostatic pressing, diffusion welding, and superplastic forming have greatly enriched the theory and technology of metallurgy and continuously promoted the development of nonferrous metal production.