Authors' Note: This article reviews research published or presented in 1991 and 1992 that we feel is likely to be of interest to those involved in hydrometallurgy and the aqueous processing of materials and industrial minerals. It is beyond the scope of such a review to discuss any of the contributions comprehensively or critically. Instead, we hope that the reader will use this compilation of recent research as an information sourceiand learn more about work that heor she is interested in from the references given here.
GENERAL SYMPOSIATwo international symposia held in 1992 covered a comprehensive range of hydrometallurgical research. The Ernest Peters International Symposium on Hydrometallurgy, Theory and Practice, had sessions on leaching of ores and concentrates, hydrometallurgical deSign, simulation and process control, hydrometallurgical process innovation, hydrometallurgy and the environment, hydrometallurgy and precious metals recovery, and solution purification. 1 The Second International Conference on Hydrometallurgy, held in Changsha, China, included ten plenary lectures with an emphasis on Chinese hydrometallurgy, but speakers also addressed aspects of heap leaching, integrated waste management, solvent extraction, and the use of liquid membranes for effluent treatment. The plenary lectures were followed by sessions on general hydrometallurgy (27 papers), leaching (37 papers), precious metals (29 papers), purification and separation (59 papers), and environmental problems (26 papers).2
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF AQUEOUS SYSTEMSThe power of thermodynamic analysis for understanding the behavior of aqueous systems has long been recognized. Over the last few years, however, computational techniques have greatly facilitated such analyses. A recent example is the construction of multicomponent Eh-pH diagrams, using generalized species. 3 However, the computations are only as good as the data that are used as inputto models. Duffield and coworkers discussed the critical appraisal of thermodynamic data for use with computer-based chemical speciation models, the problems associated with selecting formation/ dissolution constants for solids, and the interpretation of c0l!lputed results.+-;;For many systems there is still an urgent need for good thermodynamic data, 46 and recent contributions in this area are particularlywekome. Indu and coworkers developed a scale characterizing the acidity of solutions containing H 2 SO 4 and Na 2 SO/ The activities and osmotic coefficients of various alkali and alkalineearth halide solutions were calculated from vapor pressure measurements,8 freezing pOint data (using a two-parameter equation of the Huckel type),9