Lixiviant
Encyclopedia
Lixiviant is a liquid
medium used in hydrometallurgy
to selectively extract the desired metal
from the ore
or mineral
. It assists in rapid and complete leaching
. The metal can be recovered from it in a concentrated form after leaching. Lixiviant in a solution may be acidic or basic in nature.
Most commonly used acid is
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
medium used in hydrometallurgy
Hydrometallurgy
Hydrometallurgy is part of the field of extractive metallurgy involving the use of aqueous chemistry for the recovery of metals from ores, concentrates, and recycled or residual materials...
to selectively extract the desired metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
from the ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
or mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
. It assists in rapid and complete leaching
Leaching (metallurgy)
Leaching is a widely used extractive metallurgy technique which converts metals into soluble salts in aqueous media. Compared to pyrometallurgical operations, leaching is easier to perform and much less harmful, because no gaseous pollution occurs...
. The metal can be recovered from it in a concentrated form after leaching. Lixiviant in a solution may be acidic or basic in nature.
Most commonly used acid is