Copper is a highly versatile metal widely used in

production all over the world. Despite being one of the

basic chemical elements, this reddish-brown metal is

rarely found in its pure form. Copper is usually

combined with other chemicals like sulphur and

carbon to form copper ores, which are mined and

refined for use. Read on to find out more about how

copper is produced!

The process of extracting copper from copper ores

varies according to the type of ore mined and the desired

purity of the final product. Copper ores are refined to remove

unwanted materials, such that the concentration of copper is increased. The extraction of copper

from sulphide ores (one of the most common ores present in nature) typically follows these steps:

1. Mining

Sulphide ores are extracted from mines via drilling and blasting with explosives. The overburden the

layer of material covering the ore is removed in order to extract the ore deposit below.

2. Concentrating

After the copper ore is extracted, it is crushed and ground into fine particles, which are then mixed

with water. Chemical reagents are added to the slurry of ore and water, and this mixture is

transferred into tanks called flotation cells. Air is injected into the tanks; as the mixture bubbles, the

copper particles float to the surface and cling to the bubbles as they rise, thereby separating copper

from the rest of the mixture.

3. Smelting

The copper concentrate derived from the flotation process still contains impurities that must be

removed by smelting. This process involves blasting the concentrate using a furnace, which allows

iron and sulphur to be removed as slag and sulphuric acid respectively. The resulting molten material,

known as blister copper, will contain about 99% copper.

4. Refining

The blister copper is further refined by heating in a furnace, where air is blown to oxidise the

impurities. Following this the product undergoes electrolysis, forming copper cathodes that consist of

99.95-99.99% pure copper.

5. Casting

The copper cathodes are then melted and cast into various products, depending on the type required.

This may take the form of rods, which are coiled to make copper wire; or copper cakes, which are

rectangular slabs that are cut into sheets for foil.

How Copper Is Produced

Image by John Mortimore via Wikimedia Commons