What is Liquetion?

Liquation is a metallurgical process in which a metal of lower melting point is separated from a higher-melting-point alloy by heating it in such a way that the lower-melting-point metal melts, leaving the higher-melting-point metal solid. The difference in melting points allows for the selective melting of the lower melting point metal, which can then be drained or poured off, leaving behind the higher melting point metal.

Examples of materials often separated through liquation include tin from bronze and lead from solder. In the case of bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin, the copper has a higher melting point (1085 °C) compared to tin (232 °C). By heating the bronze above the melting point of tin but below the melting point of copper, the tin can be liquefied and drained, leaving behind a copper-rich solid material.

Similarly, in the case of solder, which is an alloy of lead and tin, the lead has a lower melting point (327 °C) compared to tin (232 °C). Liquation can be used to separate lead from solder by heating the alloy above the melting point of lead but below the melting point of tin, allowing the lead to liquefy and be poured off, leaving behind a tin-rich solid material.

In summary, liquation involves the selective melting of a lower-melting-point metal from a higher-melting-point alloy. The difference in melting points allows for the separation and recovery of the two metals.