Common nonferrous metals

Chlorination. In some instances, the extraction of a pure metal is more easily achieved from the chloride than from the oxide. Oxide ores and concentrates react at high temperature with chlorine gas to produce volatile chlorides of the metal. This reaction can be used for common nonferrous metals, but it is particularly useful for refractory metals like titanium (see Titanium and titanium alloys) and 2irconium (see Zirconium and zirconium compounds), and for reactive metals like aluminum. 

Aluminum is a metal that came of age in the twentieth century. Its volume of production has grown from about 1/lOOth that of copper, lead, and zinc prior to 1900, to two to four times the volume of these more common nonferrous metals during the last century (Table 12.1). H.C. Oersted, in 1825 (Table 12.1) in Denmark, was the first to isolate aluminum in impure form by the reduction of aluminum chloride with potassium amalgam. Two years later in Germany, F. Wohler obtained higher purity metal and fully described its properties. H.E. St.-Claire Deville put aluminum production into commercial practice in France by 1845 using sodium fusion to reduce aluminum chloride (Eq. 12.1). 

The common nonferrous metals are an important class of ubiquitous metals used largely in industry with or in complement with the ferrous metals. This metallurgical group includes, in decreasing world annual production, aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and, to a lesser extent, tin (Sn). The common physical and chemical properties of these five metals are listed in Table 3.1. 

Aqua regia (3HC1 + HNOj) cone. Sn" + 12HC1 + 4HNO, —> 3Sn + 12C1 + 4NO + 8H,0 Dissolves rapidly when an excess of HCl is present, chlorostannic acid HjSnCf forms Common Nonferrous Metals... 

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