Pyro-metallurgy involves the use of high temperatures to extract and purify metals from their ores.
Roasting is a classic example of a pyro-metallurgical process. In roasting, the ore is heated in the presence of oxygen, leading to chemical reactions that convert the metal into its oxide or remove volatile impurities like sulfur or arsenic.
This process is commonly used in the extraction of metals like copper and zinc from their sulfide ores.
In contrast, electrolysis and ion exchange are electrochemical and hydrometallurgical techniques respectively, and leaching is purely a hydrometallurgical method.