Industrial Chemical Process Design
Including complex operations and formulas that are explained in an easy-to-understand format, this book provides the solutions to some of the most complex problems in chemical process design.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Industrial Chemical Process Design
Metals and Alloys
Although no definite line of demarcation can be drawn between the metallic and the nonmetallic elements, approximately three-fourths of the known chemical elements are usually considered to be predominantly metallic in character. The objective of the present discussion is to show certain chemical and physical properties that make these metals a class of elements possessing common characteristics. Wholly aside from the fact that metals are far more numerous than nonmetals, the many and varied industrial uses of metals make it important to understand the properties of the metallic state. Such knowledge has been largely responsible for the development of industrial applications that have contributed so much to the progress of modern industry.
Occurrence of metals
The availability of an element (whether metallic or nonmetallic) depends on both its abundance and its mode of existence in nature. Of two metals on or near the earth's surface, one may be far more abundant than the other and yet far less accessible because it does not occur in high concentration at one or more places. In other words, a very abundant element may be relatively inaccessible because it is fairly uniformly distributed throughout the earth's surface. On the other hand, a metal that exists on the earth only to a limited extent may be readily available because existing supplies are found in rich deposits consisting principally of that metal or one or more of its compounds. These ideas are strikingly illustrated by comparing the histories of magnesium and lead.
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