Copper extraction - Wikipedia
Until the latter half of the 20th century, smelting sulfide ores was almost the sole means of producing copper metal from mined ores (primary copper production).Davenport, et al, noted in 2002 that even then 80% of global primary copper production was from copper–iron–sulfur minerals and that the vast majority of these were treated by smelting.
Copper Production: How Is Copper Made?
Sep 26, 2019· Currently, about 80% of global copper production is extracted from sulfide sources. Regardless of the ore type, mined copper ore must first be concentrated to remove gangue or unwanted materials embedded in the ore. The first step in this process is crushing and powdering ore in a ball or rod mill. Sulfide Copper Ores .
Copper Mining and Processing: Processing Copper Ores,
Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore (less than 1% copper) and ends with sheets of 99.99% pure copper called cathodes, which will ultimately be made into products for everyday use.The most common types of ore, copper oxide and copper sulfide, undergo two different processes, hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, respectively,
Chapter 6 Copper Production Technology
Sulfide ores (0.5-2% Cu) I Comminution 1 II I FIotation I Concent rates (20-30% Cu) 1 6-1.-FIow Sheets for Copper Production Hydrometalluigical Oxide and sulfide ores (0.3-2.0% Cu) Leaching Pregnant Ieachate (20-50% Cu) Precipitation Solvent extract ion I Smelting I I Cement copper 1 (85-90% Cu) Matte (50-75% Cu) II I Converting i Anode,
Sulfide - Wikipedia
Sulfide (British English also sulphide) is an inorganic anion of sulfur with the chemical formula S 2− or a compound containing one or more S 2− ions. Solutions of sulfide salts are corrosive. Sulfide also refers to chemical compounds large families of inorganic and organic compounds, e.g. lead sulfide and dimethyl sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) and bisulfide (SH −) are the
From Ore to Finished Product - Copper
Copper - From Beginning to End. Copper is a major metal and an essential element used by man. It is found in ore deposits around the world. It is also the oldest metal known to man and was first discovered and used about 10,000 years ago. And as alloyed in bronze (copper-tin alloy) about 3000 BC, was the first engineering material known to man.
Copper production & environmental impact - Greenspec
Copper leaching. Sulfide ores and froth flotation. Sulfide ores are mixed with water and a surfacant creating a slurry. The slurry, when agitated causes the copper sulfide minerals to float at which point they are skimmed off the surface dried. The dried material is then sent to the smelter. Oxide ores and leaching
Copper Ore Types: Sulfides vs. Oxides | INN
Nov 09, 2020· Read on for an overview of copper oxide ores and copper sulfide ores, with a focus on how they’re processed. For investors interested in copper production, having a good handle on this,
TENORM: Copper Mining and Production Wastes | US EPA
Jun 07, 2021· Ores that contain copper in the U.S. are typically mined in large, open-pits. Copper processing facilities are usually located near mining or extraction sites. Significant waste volumes are associated with copper production. Mine wastes may contain radionuclides due to their natural presence in ores and can be a source of TENORM.
Copper Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey
Copper is usually found in nature in association with sulfur. Pure copper metal is generally produced from a multistage process, beginning with the mining and concentrating of low-grade ores containing copper sulfide minerals, and followed by smelting and electrolytic refining to produce a pure copper cathode.
Copper - Element information, properties and uses,
Copper is not difficult to extract from it ores, but mineable deposits were relatively rare. Some, such as the copper mine at Falun, Sweden, date from the 1200s, were the source of great wealth. One way to extract the metal was to roast the sulfide ore then leach out the copper sulfate that was formed, with water.
Innovations in Copper: Mining & Extraction: Producing,
Producing Copper Nature's Way: Bioleaching Copper Applications in Mining & Extraction. By William H. Dresher, Ph.D., P. E. Summary | Examples | Background | Chemistry of Bioleaching | Microbiology of Bioleaching | Leaching Method | Costs | Research | Conclusions | References. Summary . Bioleaching is the extraction of a metal from sulfide ores or concentrates using
12.3 Primary Copper Smelting
Pyrometallurgical techniques use heat to separate copper from copper sulfide ore concentrates. Process steps include mining, concentration, roasting, smelting, converting, and finally fire and electrolytic refining. 12.3.2 Process Description2-4 Mining produces ores with less than 1 percent copper. Concentration is accomplished at the
SOUTH AMERICA | Freeport-McMoRan
FCX’s South America mining operations include open-pit mining, sulfide ore concentrating, leaching and solution extraction/electrowinning. Production from these mines is sold as concentrate or cathode under long-term contracts. Our South America mines also ship a portion of their copper concentrate to Atlantic Copper, our wholly owned smelting and refining unit in
Mantos Blancos - Mantos Copper
The mine currently mines and processes both sulfide and oxide ores; going forward, the mine will primarily treat sulfide ore in an expanded concentrator. The current sulphide concentrator has a capacity of 4.2 million tonnes of sulphide ore per year, with three stage crushing followed by ball milling and flotation plant.
Ore minerals
Copper - Most copper ore bodies are mined from minerals created by weathering of the primary copper ore mineral chalcopyrite. Minerals in the enriched zone include chalcocite, bornite, djurleite. Minerals in the oxidized zones include malachite, azurite, chyrsocolla, cuprite, tenorite, native copper and brochantite.
Processes - extraction, mining, smelting, refining,
Processes. Copper is found in natural ore deposits around the world. This page explains the production route taken from extraction of ore-containing rock to a final product that is the highest-purity commercial metal in existence and used in a wide variety of applications essential to modern living.
copper | Uses, Properties, & Facts | Britannica
Copper is commercially produced mainly by smelting or leaching, usually followed by electrodeposition from sulfate solutions. For a detailed treatment of the production of copper, see copper processing.The major portion of copper produced in the world is used by the electrical industries; most of the remainder is combined with other metals to form alloys.
cobalt processing | Uses, Supply, & Facts | Britannica
From ores. For copper-cobalt ores, a sulfide concentrate is roasted under controlled conditions to transform most of the cobalt sulfide to a soluble sulfate while minimizing the change of copper and iron to their water-soluble states. The product is leached, the resulting solution is treated to remove copper and iron, and the cobalt is finally,
Uses of Zinc | Supply, Demand, Production, Resources
Sphalerite (zinc sulfide) is the primary ore mineral from which most of the world's zinc is produced, but a number of other minerals that do not contain sulfide contain zinc as a major component. Much of the early zinc production was from nonsulfide deposits; however, as these resources were exhausted, production shifted to sulfide deposits.
Nickel: smelting, producing-Metalpedia
In hydrometallurgical processes, nickel sulfide ores undergo flotation (differential flotation if Ni/Fe ratio is too low) and then smelted. After producing the nickel matte, further processing is done via the Sherritt-Gordon process. First, copper is removed by adding hydrogen sulfide, leaving a concentrate of only cobalt and nickel. Then,
The Chemistry of Copper Electrolysis - Superfund
purification of ores such as copper sulfide ore. Electrolysis uses an electrical current to move ions in an electrolyte solution between two electrodes. In copper electrolysis, when a current is applied, positively-charged copper ions (called cations) leave the anode (positive electrode) and move toward the cathode (negative electrode).
Silver: A native element, mineral, alloy, and byproduct
Most of the silver produced today is a byproduct of mining copper, lead, and zinc. The silver occurs within the ores of these metals in one of two ways: 1) substituting for one of the metal ions within the ore mineral's atomic structure; or, 2) occurring as an inclusion of native silver or a silver mineral within the ore mineral.
How can metal mining impact the environment? | American,
If sulfide minerals are present in these rocks, especially pyrite, the sulfides can oxidize and cause acid rock drainage. Acid seepage from tailings. Tailings produced from the milling of sulfide ores — primarily copper, lead, and zinc ores — may have concentrations of pyrite that are greater than those common in waste rock.
Nickel: smelting, producing-Metalpedia
In hydrometallurgical processes, nickel sulfide ores undergo flotation (differential flotation if Ni/Fe ratio is too low) and then smelted. After producing the nickel matte, further processing is done via the Sherritt-Gordon process. First, copper is removed by adding hydrogen sulfide, leaving a concentrate of only cobalt and nickel. Then,
The Chemistry of Copper Electrolysis - Superfund
purification of ores such as copper sulfide ore. Electrolysis uses an electrical current to move ions in an electrolyte solution between two electrodes. In copper electrolysis, when a current is applied, positively-charged copper ions (called cations) leave the anode (positive electrode) and move toward the cathode (negative electrode).
Silver: A native element, mineral, alloy, and byproduct
Most of the silver produced today is a byproduct of mining copper, lead, and zinc. The silver occurs within the ores of these metals in one of two ways: 1) substituting for one of the metal ions within the ore mineral's atomic structure; or, 2) occurring as an inclusion of native silver or a silver mineral within the ore mineral.
How can metal mining impact the environment? | American,
If sulfide minerals are present in these rocks, especially pyrite, the sulfides can oxidize and cause acid rock drainage. Acid seepage from tailings. Tailings produced from the milling of sulfide ores — primarily copper, lead, and zinc ores — may have concentrations of pyrite that are greater than those common in waste rock.
Rare Earth Elements: A Review of Production, Processing,
However, REE ores generally contain few acid-producing sulfide minerals, so the risk of producing acids to leach metals and producing mine drainage (AMD) is considered low. Because REE deposits are associated with igneous rocks, the greatest AMD risk would probably come from these igneous bodies intruding sediments or other rocks containing,
Sulfuric acid - Essential Chemical Industry
Other metals manufactured from their sulfide ores include copper, nickel and zinc. Worldwide about 35% of the sulfur is obtained as sulfur dioxide from sulfide ore roasting and this is increasing, as plants which traditionally passed the sulfur dioxide to atmosphere are recovering it as sulfuric acid.
