pyrometallurgy

American  

[pahy-ruh-met-l-ur-jee] / ˌpaɪ rəˈmɛt lˌɜr dʒi /

noun

1. the process or technique of refining ores with heat so as to accelerate chemical reactions or to melt the metallic or nonmetallic content.

---

pyrometallurgy British  

/ ˌpaɪrəʊmɛˈtælədʒɪ, -ˈmɛtəˌlɜːdʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of metallurgy involving processes performed at high temperatures, including sintering, roasting, smelting, casting, refining, alloying, and heat treatment

---

Other Word Forms

• pyrometallurgical adjective

Etymology

Origin of pyrometallurgy

First recorded in 1905–10; pyro- + metallurgy

Example Sentences

But unlike pyrometallurgy, the heating is incredibly brief—typically a few hundred milliseconds.

From Scientific American • Dec. 21, 2022

It's potentially a more sustainable method of recovering nickel than traditional techniques such as pyrometallurgy, which Dr O'Connor says is not an environmentally-friendly process.

From BBC • May 2, 2022