Aluminum processing, preparation of the ore for use in various products. The most common types of ore, copper oxide and copper sulfide, undergo two different processes, hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, respectively, due to the different. Inventory lci provides critical environmental information from mining to smelting and refining. Following diagram shows the electrolytic refining of copper in which anode is impure copper and cathode is thin strip of pure copper while the electrolyte used is the copper sulphate solution. Thanks mr butcher and all members, yes gold is visible in ore, i have study the hokes book but he didnt explain how to refine gold from ore. Current distribution in modern copper refining isakidd.
Preparation and characterization of copper oxide nanoparticles and determination of enhancement in critical heat flux jagdeep m. This report describes the possible impacts on the hydrology of the copper nickel study area study area by copper nickel mining, milling, smelting, and refining. Kshirsagar 1 ramakant shrivastava1 prakash s adwani 1department of mechanical engineering, government engineering college, aurangabad india email. Hydrometallurgical methods are used in countries having readily available deposits with low copper content with sulphur of oxidized form at the same time usa, chile, australia and peru majima et al. The dominating method to treat weee is through the. The electrolyte is copper sulphate cuso 4 mixed with a. Whether or no tto min copper nickee ore ilsn minnesot is typicaa l of man environmentay issue todayls simpl, becausy ther iee ns o consensus o opiniof amonn thg expertse o thr publie acs to the economic and environmenta impactl osf thi typs e of lan used. In the threephase area pbcu the copper solubility increases with in. Iii 4 iii3 concentration in smelter and refinery capacity 1979.
Primary copper smelter and refinery as a recycling plant. To ensure this level of purity, copper has to be purified by electrolysis after it has been extracted from its ore. Electrowinning of copper from sulfate electrolyte in presence of sulfurous acid article pdf available in hydrometallurgy 591. These actually represent families of alloys, all made by varying the amount of specific alloying elements.
That means that to become a marketready copper product it must undergo a variety of physical and. This report discusses electrorefining copper research conducted to increase the rate, deposit purity, and overall efficiency in industrial processes used to electrodeposit and purify metals by increasing substantially the operating current density range and optimizing the deposition process. The variables in commercial copper electrowinning and electrorefining are the flow rate of the feed electrolyte into the electrolytic cells, electrolyte temperature, current density, and copper, sulphuric acid, chloride ions and fresh organic additives concentrations. As the copper anode dissolves, metallic impurities precipitate and form a sludge. After mining, the first major step in copper refining is concentration. Copper alloy scrap is added to the tbrc and to the anode furnace. Electrorefining of copper universidade federal do rio.
The value of free gold and silver is normally greater than the value of the free metal for copper. Melting and refining technology for copper produced from scrap charge air products and chemicals, inc. Pyrometallurgical techniques the lead bullion is fed into a refining kettle. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes.
Removal of copper copper is the first of the impurities to be removed. Us3389064a electrolytic refining of copper and tank. Hydrometallurgical options to add value to copper projects. The purification uses an electrolyte of copper ii sulphate solution, impure copper anodes, and strips of high purity copper for the cathodes. Copper occurs on earth both as native copper the uncombined element, cu, and in ores copper compounds, or mixtures of compounds, from which copper metal can be extracted profitably. Ayres et al the life cycle of copper, its coproducts and byproducts vi table 5. The copper development association, inc on their copper page makes the point that. The cathode plates are coated with graphite in order to remove depositing copper. A short video clip illustrating the process of copper refining that can be viewed online by students or. Copper electrolysis refining plant, purification of copper. Electrorefining purifying copper in industry activity. Most of the metals such as copper, silver, gold, zinc and chromium are refined electrolytically.
Us3389064a us38451964a us3389064a us 3389064 a us3389064 a us 3389064a us 38451964 a us38451964 a us 38451964a us 3389064 a us3389064 a us 3389064a authority us united states prior art keywords copper electrolyte electrolytic refining thiourea cathode prior art date 19640722 legal status the legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Our topic for today is electrolytic refining of metals. Pdf copper refining electrolysis at high current densities. The initial product of copper smelting was impure black copper, which was then repeatedly melted to purify it, alternately oxidizing and reducing it. Copper is widely used to make electrical wiring and in other applications that utilize its high electrical conductivity. And as alloyed in bronze coppertin alloy about 3000 bc, was the first engineering material known to man. Solvent extraction has been routinely used for copper refining since its invention in the 1960s, and it is suggested that well over 10% of refined copper. The refining anodes taken out from the refining furnace is changed into electrolytic copper with purity of 99.
The term matte grade is normally used to refer to the copper content of the matte. The impure metal is made the anode and a thin sheet of the pure metal as cathode. Crude copper, which is usually obtained by pyrometallurgical methods, is not suitable to serve in electrical applications because impurities greatly reduce the metals conductivity. At the cathode, copper ii ions are deposited as copper. This a very convenient method for refining many impure metals. Treatment of copper smelting and refining wastes cdc stacks. The plated copper is then machinestripped from the stainless steel blanks, sampled, and stacked for shipping, typically in batches of 2. Pdf in this study, the possibility of utilizing high current densities in copper rening electrolysis was investigated in relation to the cell design. New and old copper scrap or copper alloys can be melted, repurified, and recycled into new components 50% of copper used in the copper industry was recycled. Because copper is an element, it can be infinitely recycled. Electrolytic refining separates copper from impurities by electrolysis in a solution containing copper sulfate cu2so4 and sulfuric acid h2so4.
Management of copper pyrometallurgical slags 543 introduction during the last years, due to worldwide economic recession and a large inventory of stock, copper reached a historical value of 0. Apr 12, 2011 electrolytic refining of copper classontheweb. Electrowinning refers to the process of using electrolysis to extract a metallic element from the compounds in its ore. Blister copper is refined by an electrolytic process. During electrolysis pure copper is deposited in the form of. Blister copper in the form of a large plate is made as anode. Energy consumption, emissions, wastes and byproducts from the production of 1 tonne of copper from secondary materialsa, germany 1992. Epa 530r94031 ntis pb94200979 technical resource document extraction and beneficiation of ores and minerals volume 4 copper august 1994 u. An impure sample of copper may be purified by using the sample as the anode in an electrolysis cell with a pure copper cathode and copper ii sulfate solution as the electrolyte. Leigh kennecott copper corporation, utah refinery salt lake city, utah 841 11 abstract anode mud, the residual material collected from the bottom of the electroly tic cel is during the refining of copper is leached.
In 2000, the principal mining states, in descending order, arizona, utah, new mexico, and montana, accounted for 99 percent of domestic. The most wellknown copper alloy families are brass copper zinc, bronze copper tin and copper nickel. The ores typically contain low percentages of copper and have to be concentrated before refining e. Refining of blister copper national metallurgical laboratory. Electrorefining general introduction in an electrorefining process, the anode is the impure metal and the impurities must be lost during the passage of the metal from the anode to the cathode during electrolysis, i. Copper tu b i n g the ancient chinese, around 500 b. Beneficiation by froth flotation of ore to give copper concentrate. The smelting of copper the first written account of the processes of smelting and refining of copper is to be found in the 12th century. As early as 5000 bce, copper weapons and implements were left in graves for the use of the dead. The product of this smelting stage is a mixture of copper, iron and sulfur that is enriched in copper, and which is called matte or copper matte. The average compositions of blisters from primary and secondary raw materials are given in table 1.
That means that to become a marketready copper product it must undergo a variety of physical and chemical processing steps. The international copper associations copper cathode life cycle. In todays modern copper electrorefineries, increasingly higher average current densities are. The copper ii ions are removed again from the organic solvent by reaction with fresh sulfuric acid, producing a much more concentrated copper ii sulfate solution than before.
The total reserves of the ore in the country are estimated around 60 crore tonnes. During electrolysis, copper ii ions leave the impure copper anode and since they are positive, migrating to the negative cathode. It then argues that the crucibles depicted on the walls of some egyptian old kingdom tombs and found at the isinlarsa period site of tell edhdhibai, were originally devised and used as. The royal society of chemistry thanks the following individuals and organisations for their help in producing the original video clips. In addition to its low density, many of the applications of aluminum and its alloys are based on its high electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to corrosion. Concentration and vertical integration in the smelting, refining and semifabricating stage. The asarco copper refineryimagine a building bigger than ten football fields so long, its said, that the builders had to account for the curvature of the earth when laying out the foundation. Unrefined or blister copper is about 99 percent pure when obtained from the ore, but it is desirable to increase this to 99. Pdf electrowinning of copper from sulfate electrolyte in. The value of the free copper, gold and silver in a copper concentrates for a copper smelter is depending on the recovery rate, lme copper price and lmba gold and silver price. Copper ii ions are deposited as copper on the cathode for the electrode equation, see under the purification of copper below.
Major ore producing areas are singhbum district bihar, balaghat. Placing a copper nickel mine and associated operations in a watershed would cause changes in the quality, quantity, and timing of water flowing out of that watershed. The products of this operation are pure copper cathodes and an anode slime which platinum metals rev. Chapter 6 copper production technology the last boomin technological innovation for the copper industry occurred in the first two decades of this century, whenopen pit mining, flo tation concentration,and the reverberatory smelter were adapted to porphyry copper ores. The copper loaded cathodes are washed to remove electrolyte and slimes. The copper industry was based essentially on the use of a copper starter sheet as the substrate for the refined copper deposition. Mustafa umit atalay december 2014, 65 pages the aim of this study was the recovery of copper from the oxide copper ore by froth flotation and agitating sulphuric acid h 2 so 4 leaching. When comparing results obtained with mlra model calculations with values measured at industrial level high degree of fitting is obtained r2 0. The diagram shows a very simplified view of a cell. The metal composition of different electronic scraps varies widely depending on age, origin and manufacturing.
Chalcopyrite also known as copper pyrites and similar sulfide ores are the commonest ores of copper. Recovery of copper from oxide copper ore by flotation and leaching kiraz, emirhan m. Today, coppers uses have expanded to include heating, cooling and refrigeration, electrical wiring, electronics, power generation and transmission, automotive applications, antimicrobial uses and many more. Pdf early bronze age refining of copper christopher j. Nov 03, 2012 4 min video clip shows how copper is mined. The valuable minerals like chalcopyrite are intergrown with gangue. Pdf the decreasing quality of the input materials in copper recycling leads to a higher content of impurities in the anode copper. The life cycle of copper, its coproducts and byproducts. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, local environmental regulations, and other factors. This technology replaces and surpasses conventional firerefining of scrap derived copper melts in large reverberatory furnaces.
Mullick irude blister produced in smelting process may contain impurities like fe, s, 0, zn, ni, as, sb. Gold and silver preferentially dissolved in this, thus providing a. Electrolytic refining of tough pitch copper further refining of copper to about 99. Its the asarco copper refinery in amarillo, texas, a state known for big things where big things happen. Sio2, feo, fe3o4, cao, al2o3 and the content of copper in the matte on resulting copper content in the slag during smelting of the sulfide concentrates in the reverberatory furnace. Electrolytic refining converts firerefined copper at anode into highpurity copper at cathode. Electro refining operations copper anodes from the converter process are dissolved electrolytically using an acid copper sulphate solution as an electrolyte.
The copper content may vary between 3 and 27 wt% cui and zhang, 2008. This process is used at the san francisco mint to work up the copper occurring as base metal in the bullion, and to recover the copper used to precipitate the silver from the various washwaters. In the 1970s operating current densities with this technology were typically around 220250 amps per square metre. Every year in the united states, nearly as much copper is recycled as is mined. Energy consumption, emissions, wastes and byproducts from the production of 1 tonne of copper from secondary materials a, germany 1992. The miller process uses gaseous chlorine to extract impurities when gold is at melting point. Electrolytic refining is the process of obtaining pure metals like gold, silver, copper etc.
Melting and refining technology for copper produced from. Processing, smelting and refining gold world gold council. Electrorefining of a metal by electrolysis is a way of purification of a metal previously extracted by classical metallurgical or electrochemical processes, with the aim of removing impurities, which would exihibit in. Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. Copper is present in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, dried beans, nuts, meats, seafood and chocolate, as well as drinking water. This fact meant closing down many important mining companies in the world, mainly in usa. Definite records have been found of the working of copper mines on the sinai peninsula about 3800 bce, and the discovery of crucibles at these mines indicates. In this example the recovery rate for a copper smelter is 98. Pdf pyrometallurgical refining of copper in an anode furnace. When a vein of which is found, it is acquired with the greatest labour by digging and breaking. Therefore, in the first step the lumpy ore is crushed and milled into fine particles copper had been discovered and estimated that about 290 million tons of copper remained undiscovered in the united states. Electrorefining is the preferred method as an electrolytic process for gold and other precious metals. Lead bullion contains many other metallic impurities including antimony, arsenic, copper, tin and zinc.
Gold extraction from copper,silver ore gold refining. Iii 6 iii4 copper refining capacity in the market economies by producing unit end 1977. Copper chemistry history for the chapter on copper chemistry from the elsevier text chemistry of the elements by greenwood and earnshaw see online metals based surveys this site now seems to have gone offline. Copper cu c 20012005 mineral data publishing, version 1 crystal data. Hydrometallurgical options to add value to copper projects and operations peter rohner core resources, brisbane. In copper processing, a copper cathode is the final, 99. Therefore, in the first step the lumpy ore is crushed and milled into fine particles solvent extraction and electrowinning. Copper refining process for the electrolytic refining of copper. Blocks of blister copper are casted to use as anodes and thin sheets of pure copper act as cathodes. Electrowinning, also called electroextraction, is the electrodeposition of metals from their ores the most common electrowon metals are lead, copper, gold, silver, zinc, aluminium, chromium, cobalt, manganese, and the rareearth and alkali. Refining of copper blister copper is refined by electrolysis. Therefore an improvement of the pyrometallurgical refining process is necessary to produce high quality anodes for the copper refining electrolysis.
Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore less than 1% copper and ends with sheets of 99. According to the copper development association, copper s recycling rate is higher than that of any other engineering metal. Copper is reddish in colour and takes on a bright sheen. Refining of metals study material for iit jee askiitians. Mined rock typically contains less than 1 percent copper. The copper anode is dissolved and deposited at the cathode. It is also malleable and ductile, which means it is easily manipulated into another shape. Cathodes produced from starter sheets are handled similarly but do not require stripping. The element of copper was known to ancient civilisations. It also shows the reduction process showing copper being reduced out of solution using electricity. In the copper industry the anode furnace is an important process step in the refining procedure to reach an improvement of the copper quality by a selective oxidation and reduction. Notes 4 chemistry module 6 occurrence and extraction of metals chemistry of elements copper india does not have rich copper ore deposits. This paper describes the role and process of copper refining. From ore to market mined rock typically contains less than 1 percent copper.
32 80 488 1200 473 188 1099 45 269 570 653 543 1507 1387 994 709 724 213 1170 144 59 542 319 114 233 664 953 590 1299 882 934 335 1489 876