Pyrometallurgisk

Pyrometallurgisk is an adjective used in Swedish and related languages to describe processes, techniques, or materials related to pyrometallurgy, the branch of extractive metallurgy that uses high-temperature reactions to extract and purify metals from ores, concentrates, and secondary materials.

Pyrometallurgical processes occur at elevated temperatures, typically exceeding 1000°C, and involve solid–gas or solid–liquid reactions. Primary operations include roasting (oxidizing sulfide minerals or carbonaceous matter to prepare material for reduction), smelting (reduction of oxides or sulfides to metal using reducing agents such as carbon), and refining (removal of impurities through selective oxidation, slag formation, vapor-phase processes, or distillation). Equipment commonly used includes reverberatory and blast furnaces, smelters, flash smelters, and electric furnaces. The choice of process depends on ore composition, desired product, and economic considerations.

Feedstocks range from primary sulfide and oxide ores to secondary materials like metallurgical slags and spent catalysts. The products may be bulk metals or alloys, while byproducts often include slag and gaseous emissions (for example sulfur dioxide). Pyrometallurgical operations are energy-intensive and require environmental controls such as gas cleaning, sulfuric acid production from SO2, and strategies for slag valorization or recycling of materials.

Compared with hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy emphasizes high-temperature, solid–gas and solid–liquid reactions and is well-suited for high-volume, low-grade feedstocks and metals such as iron, copper, nickel, zinc, and lead. It also underpins many refining and recycling applications where heat-driven separation is advantageous.