Extractive Metallurgy

Source of metals
Three main sources of metals and their compounds are the earth s crust, the sea, and scrap metal, the most important one being the earth s crust. The sea, which on an average, 3.5% of dissolved solids. In the cultivating specific marine organisms which would concentrate one or more elements withen their bodies by inherent biological activity. In addition, cover large areas of the sea floor.
Finally, scrap metal is becoming increasingly important and a freely available source of metal in view of the rapid industrial growth all over the world. (The metal recovered from scrap metal are called secondary metals), in current steel-making processes a significant portion of the "charge" consists of scrap metal.
1-Earth s Crust
The most common element in the nature that is represent it in the earth s crust are formed from molten rock (magmas). Magmas are the source of the igneous rock, which is represent the organs of other type of rocks from these rocks the earth s crust are formed with a thickness about (33 Km).
The rock that formed the earth crust can be classified into three types:
1-Igneous rock: is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma.
2- Sedimentary rock: is A type of rock that formed by The sedimentation disintegration of material at the earth s surface and withen bodies of water. The disintegration occurs by withering or corrosion.
3- Metamorphic minerals: are those that form only at the high temperatures and pressures associate with the process and metamorphism.
2- Sea as source of metals:
Sea water can be considered a dilute solution containing valuable minerals and chemicals compound . About (70) element have so far been discovered in sea water.
3- Scrap:
The History of extraction metallurgy can be divided into two period – the ancient period / when A small number of metals was known, and the recent period of about the last two centuries, when almost metals have become available commercially.
Many important metals are present in nature combined with sulfure as metal sulfides; These include cadmium cobalt, copper, lead, nickel, zinc and gold group, metals are associated with sulfides base metal ores essential factor in the creation and development level of civilization.
The first step in recovery metals from their ores is that of finding are – bodies in which metal sulfides are present in a sufficient quantity, and at a sufficient concentration for mining to be economic. The discovery of metals by depended on their being easily found, easily recognized as ores and easily reduced from these ores.
Extraction metallurgy is not confined to the production of a single metal from each ore, metals and sometimes non-metals , present in ores in very proportions may be Concentrated into slags or dust which are sometimes of great value .