Fundamentals of Metallurgical Processes

Book excerpt: Fundamentals of Metallurgical Processes, Second Edition reviews developments in the design, control, and efficiency of metallurgical processes. Topics covered include thermodynamic functions and solutions as well as experimental and bibliographical methods, heterogeneous reactions, metal extraction, and iron and steelmaking. This book is comprised of eight chapters and begins with an overview of the fundamentals of thermodynamics (functions, relationships, and behavior of solutions), followed by a discussion on methods of obtaining thermodynamic data from tables and graphs and by experiment. The kinetics of heterogeneous reactions in metallurgy are examined next, with particular reference to heterogeneous catalysis and mass transfer between immiscible liquid phases. The following chapters focus on the extraction of metals from oxides, sulfides, and halides; the production of iron and steel; the structure and properties of slags; slag/metal reactions; and equilibria in iron and steel production. The final chapter consists entirely of solved problems. This monograph will be of interest to metallurgists and materials scientists.