hydrometallurgy

[ hahy-druh-met-l-ur-jee ]

noun

1. the technique or process of extracting metals at ordinary temperatures by leaching ore with liquid solvents.

hydrometallurgy

/ -mɛˈtælədʒɪ; ˌhaɪdrəʊˈmɛtəˌlɜːdʒɪ /

noun

1. a technique for the recovery of a metal from an aqueous medium in which the metal or the gangue is preferentially dissolved

Derived Forms

• ˌhydroˌmetalˈlurgical, adjective

Other Words From

• hydro·metal·lurgi·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrometallurgy¹

First recorded in 1885–90; hydro- ¹ + metallurgy

Example Sentences

In traditional hydrometallurgy, all the metals in an EV battery cell are dissolved in an inorganic acid.

From Science Daily

The aqueous-based recycling method is called hydrometallurgy.

From Science Daily

Nlebedim and colleagues have developed an alternative, acid-free approach to hydrometallurgy for recovering rare-earth elements in the permanent magnets that are commonly found in hard drives and motors5.

From Scientific American

Using a method called hydrometallurgy, the team are using water-based acid solutions to salvage e-waste’s precious metals for art.

From BBC

A brief lesson in hydrometallurgy: Goro’s earth is rich in nickel and cobalt, key ingredients in the lithium-ion batteries most commonly used for electric vehicles.

From New York Times