Teaching and learning environmental hydrometallurgy

Environmental hydrometallurgy can be considered to comprise two distinctly different areas: environmentally compliant hydrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy for environmental compliance. The latter includes both hydrometallurgical waste treatment and hydrometallurgical processes that can replace existing ones with attendant environmental benefits. This approach may find application in many fields well beyond those in which hydrometallurgy is traditionally encountered. Teaching environmental hydrometallurgy is truly coupled with learning, because this field is very much in its infancy. Students need a foundational knowledge base, but must learn to use these tools to think creatively, outside of the box. Cognizance of developments in other fields is also essential. Some of the most useful unit processes and new developments are discussed, such as biohydrometallurgy, ion exchange and membrane processes. These are examined as case studies that can be used to teach students to make future developments.