hydrometallurgy

noun

hy·​dro·​met·​al·​lur·​gy ˌhī-drō-ˈme-tə-ˌlər-jē How to pronounce hydrometallurgy (audio)
: the treatment of ores by wet processes (such as leaching)
hydrometallurgical adjective
hydrometallurgist noun

Examples of hydrometallurgy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These companies route end-of-life battery packs (and, in the case of GM, battery manufacturing scraps) to Redwood, where the nickel, cobalt, copper, lithium, and other minerals are recycled in a hydrometallurgy facility. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 19 Sep. 2024 Another method, hydrometallurgy, leaches the metals out of the black mass by dissolving it in acids and other solvents. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 In traditional hydrometallurgy, a battery’s metals are reduced to a black powder and dissolved in an inorganic acid. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023 To extract those needles, recyclers rely on two techniques, known as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Ian Morse, Science | AAAS, 20 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrometallurgy was circa 1859

Dictionary Entries Near hydrometallurgy

Cite this Entry

“Hydrometallurgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrometallurgy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on hydrometallurgy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!