Overview
In The Art & Science of the Flowsheet, acclaimed metallurgist John O. Marsden explores the essential visual language of extractive metallurgy—the flowsheet—and the unique intersection where engineering meets art. From the hand-drawn process diagrams of the 19th century to today's digital simulations, Marsden traces how these schematic representations have evolved to capture the innovation, precision, and creativity that define mineral processing. Richly illustrated with more than 190 historical and modern flowsheets, this volume tells the story of how metallurgists, engineers, and draftsmen have translated complex processes into elegant, functional design. Through examples spanning gold, copper, nickel, lithium, and other key commodities, Marsden reveals how each diagram reflects its era's technology, challenges, and ingenuity—and how flowsheets continue to shape the efficiency and sustainability of modern operations. Part history, part technical guide, and part visual tribute, The Art & Science of the Flowsheet invites readers to appreciate the discipline as both a craft and a cornerstone of process design. It is a definitive reference for metallurgists, process engineers, and students—those who still sketch ideas on napkins, seek clarity in complexity, and understand that every good flowsheet tells a story
Full Product Details
Author: John O. Marsden
Publisher: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
Imprint: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
ISBN: 9780873350082
ISBN 10: 0873350081
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 23 February 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Author Information
John Marsden graduated from the Royal School of Mines, London, in 1982 with a first-class honors degree in Mineral Technology. He spent the early part of his career with Consolidated Gold Fields plc, working as an operator, shift supervisor, plant metallurgist, and assistant plant superintendent at the East Driefontein Gold Mine on the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He transferred to the Gold Fields Chimney Creek Gold Mine in Nevada in 1986, working on the design, commissioning, ramp-up, and optimization of the operation. In 1990, he joined Phelps Dodge Corporation as consulting metallurgist, international division, responsible for metallurgical developments in copper, lead, zinc, gold and fluorspar. He was appointed Plant Manager of the Minera Candelaria copper-gold operation in Chile in 1995, and was responsible for doubling the capacity of the facilities to 64,000 t/d. Starting in 1998, he took up a corporate role for Phelps Dodge heading up the technology and development activities, ultimately being appointed President of Phelps Dodge Mining Company. Between 1998 and 2009, he was responsible for the development, design, construction, and commissioning of major new copper projects and technologies, including: Bagdad Copper Sulfide Concentrate Leach, SX & EW, Arizona, USA Cerro Verde Copper Sulfide Concentrator, Arequipa, Peru Tenke-Fungurume Agitated Leach, SX & EW, and cobalt recovery plant, Democratic Republic of Congo Safford Copper Heap Leach, SX & EW, Arizona, USA Morenci Copper Sulfide Concentrate Leach, Arizona, USA El Abra Copper Run-of-mine Heap Leach, Calama, Chile El Abra Copper Sulfide Heap Leach (Sulfolix), Calama, Chile In 2009, Marsden established Metallurgium, providing consulting services to the mining industry. He has worked on the metallurgical development, process design, and/or optimization for over 150 projects in 20 countries; approximately 70 related to gold/silver extraction and 70 related to copper extraction, with others related to molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, and zinc. About half of the projects involved grinding and flotation/agitated leaching and half involved heap leaching. He has worked for many of the major mining companies worldwide, including Antofagasta Minerals, Barrick Gold, Freeport-McMoRan, Hudbay Minerals, Kinross Gold, Rio Tinto, and Vale. He co-authored The Chemistry of Gold Extraction with Dr. Iain House, and the second edition was published by Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME) in 2006. It has sold over 4,000 copies worldwide. He has authored 45 technical papers, co-edited several books, and has provided chapter contributions to several technical books. He holds 7 U. S. patents related to copper extraction. He is a fellow of the SME, serving as its president in 2014, an honorary member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME), and a fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy. He is the recipient of the Robert H. Richards Award of AIME (2005), the Milton E. Wadsworth Award of SME (2007), and has received two Arthur F. Taggart Awards from SME, one for copper concentrate leaching developments (2009) and one for forecasting of heap leach production (2021). He was elected to the U. S. National Academy of Engineering in 2010. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Nevada) and a Registered Member of the SME. He is a strong proponent of the identification, development and effective implementation of new technologies and flowsheets for the mineral processing and extractive metallurgical industries, and initiatives to ensure a reliable, cost-efficient, supply of metals and minerals to support the energy transition.
