Kinetics of Hydrometallurgical Processes for Precious and Rare Metals

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrometallurgical methods used in the production of precious and rare metals are now the basis of many technological operations performed in the production of these metals. They are used by large metallurgical corporations as well as medium and small recyclers. Given the market shortages of this group of metals as well as the threats of supply chain disruptions to key industries using them in production, the ability to apply hydrometallurgical methods and knowledge of optimal conditions for metal production still seems relevant and important. Depending on the type of source, metal production technology sometimes involves a number of steps, which may consist of operations such as leaching, ion exchange extraction, sorption, reductive precipitation, or electrolytic deposition. In individual operations, the kinetic factor is an important aspect. The correct execution of a given operation in a complex production cycle requires knowledge of, among other things, the kinetics of accompanying chemical reactions or transformations of a physical nature. Knowledge of the optimal conditions under which these processes run at the appropriate speed and efficiency allows, among other things, a critical assessment of the profitability of individual operations and thus of the entire technology. An important aspect of kinetic research to understand the factors governing chemical (or physical) transformation is to recognize the mechanism according to which reactions occur.

Analyzing the literature on the subject, the presence of a large number of publications in this area allows us to conclude that the aforementioned issues are still current and are of interest to both scientific units and manufacturing companies. The greater availability of research methods and techniques, as well as computational and analytical tools, now creates conditions for the creation of valuable experimental results that can support solutions of a utilitarian nature. To meet the trends, this Special Issue of Materials, titled “Kinetics of Hydrometallurgical Processes for Precious and Rare Metals”, is intended for authors of papers on issues such as the following:

• Kinetics of reactions accompanying the production of precious and rare metals,
• Mathematical description of the rates of reactions accompanying the production of precious and rare metals, using various models,
• Recognition of the mechanisms of complex reactions accompanying the production of precious and rare metals, along with the identification of their path and intermediate stages,
• Optimization of parameters of precious and rare metal production processes—kinetic aspects.

The results in this area should be linked to the methods used in the hydrometallurgy of metals, such as the following:

• Leaching,
• Ion exchange extraction,
• Sorption,
• Chemical reduction,
• Electrochemical reduction,
• Other aspects of physico-chemical nature, in which there is a kinetic factor, crucial to the production of precious and rare metals using hydrometallurgical methods.

Experimental work can be of a basic as well as utilitarian nature, using synthetic materials as well as industrial materials. Works of a computational nature (numerical analysis, computer simulations) can include, for example, optimization of conditions of hydrometallurgical production of metals in processes used in industry.

We warmly encourage the authors of the papers to share their results and scientific experience in the pages of this Special Issue.

Dr. Krzysztof Pacławski
Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Fitzner
Guest Editors

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