smelters
Metal extraction facilities
Smelters are facilities or workers that extract metal from ore through heating.
The process, smelting, uses high temperatures to separate pure metal from rock and impurities.
As facilities, smelters are industrial plants—often controversial for their environmental impact: The copper smelter polluted the surrounding valley for decades.
As workers, smelters operate these facilities or the furnaces within them.
Vessel for extreme heat
- furnaceEnclosed heat-producing structure
- castingShaping through liquid form
- moldForm-giving container
- ingotCast metal block
slag · flux · ladle · cupola · refractory · pouring · skimmer · shank
Reddish-brown metallic element
aluminum · nickel · silver · gold · platinum · steel · bronze · brass
Act of removing
- reductionMaking something smaller
- roastingCooking with dry heat
- refiningRemoving unwanted elements
- calcinationThermal decomposition via heat
leaching · electrolysis · sintering · pelletizing · fluxing · tapping · skimming · alloying
Science of extracting metals
- manufacturingIndustrial product creation
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- productionMaking or generating something
- plantBotanical organism
facility · workforce · automation · machinery · industrial · corporation · sector · economy
Substances released into air
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- sulfur dioxideSO₂ gas compound
- particulatesMinute airborne solids or droplets
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
remediation · scrubbers · smokestack · tailings · heavy metals · acid rain · regulation · cleanup
crucible
Vessel for extreme heat
ingot · slag · flux · ladle · cupola · refractory · pouring · skimmer · shank · riser
copper
Reddish-brown metallic element
tin · aluminum · nickel · silver · gold · platinum · steel · bronze · brass · alloy
extraction
Act of removing
calcination · leaching · electrolysis · sintering · pelletizing · fluxing · tapping · skimming · alloying · purification
metallurgy
Science of extracting metals
- manufacturingIndustrial product creation
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- productionMaking or generating something
plant · facility · workforce · automation · machinery · industrial · corporation · sector · economy · employment
emissions
Substances released into air
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- sulfur dioxideSO₂ gas compound
- particulatesMinute airborne solids or droplets
contamination · remediation · scrubbers · smokestack · tailings · heavy metals · acid rain · regulation · cleanup · Superfund
- Copperbeltcopper mining, copper mines, mining towns, Zambia, copper production
- Missouri Mininglead ore, lead deposits, galena, mine shafts, mining shafts
- heavy industrysteel mills, steel production, steel industry, steelmaking, foundries
- Industrial Imagerymachinery, factories, smokestacks, assembly lines, gears
- industryfactories, factory, automotive, manufacturing plant, manufacturing plants
- factoriesfactory, manufacturing plant, assembly plant, car factory, plants
smeltersmines
Ore extraction sites
quarries · mining operations · excavators · digs · pits