GEOGRAPHY FIELD PROJECT

Name : PATRICK NKHUWA

Exam number : 1650450096

School : IPUSUKILO SECONDARY SCHOOL

Teacher : Mr.Mutale

TITLE

COPPER PROCESSING IN MUFULIRA A CASE STUDY OF MOPANI COPPER MINES

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Dedication………………………………………………………….... (3)

2. Acknowledgement………………………………………………… (4)

3. Title ……………………………………………………………………….(5)

4. Introduction…………………………………………………........... (6)

5. Problem Statement………………………………………………… (7)

6. Aims……………………………………………………………............ (8)

7. Objectives……………………………………………………………… (8)

8. Methodology…………………………………………………………. (9)

9. Literature review……………………………………………………. (10)

10. Data Presentation………………………………………………… (11)

11. Interpretation and Analysis………………………………….. (15)

12. Problems and Limitations…………………………………….. (17)

13. Conclusion and Evaluation……………………………………. (18)

14. Recommendations……………………………………………….. (19)

15. References……………………………………………………………. (20)

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 DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to my supervisor and family members that made it possible because of
their support and continuous funding. Without with the project would not had been possible.

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AKNOWLEDGEMENT
The development of this project could not have been accomplished without the involvement,
participation and commitment of the school and family members. I would like to thank them
all, most importantly my family for financing and the school for facilitating the writing exercise.

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 TITLE

COPPER PROCESSING IN MUFULIRA A CASE STUDY OF MOPANI COPPER MINES

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INTRODUCTION
Mufulira is a well known mining town in Zambia. The Mufulira Mopani mine was opened in
1931 years before independence and still remains operational even today; it has also
contributed immensely to the economic growth of Mufulira and the country as whole.

Mufulira Mopani mine is located in the copper- belt province which is the smallest province of
Zambia after lusaka.Near the Zambia-Congo boarder.

The diagram above shows the position of Mufulira Mopani mines.

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 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Processing of copper at the Mopani Mufulira mines has brought a lot of development in
Mufulira but has caused a lot of pollution on the environment leaving the surrounding
environment non-usable and uneconomical.

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 AIMS
⮚ The aim of this project is to discuss on the methods of copper processing at Mopani
copper mines.

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this project are to:

• Discuss on the methods used to process copper at Mopani copper mines.

• Describe what raw materials used in copper processing in Mufulira.
• Analyze each process in detail and evaluate the conditions needed for copper production in
each stage.
• Describe the mining methods employed at Mopani copper mines and the type of ore
excavated at Mopani copper mines.

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METHODOLOGY
The methods of data collection used by the researcher were to:

⮚ Visit the research site.

⮚ Ask questions and issue out questionnaires to both the employees and employers at the site.
⮚ Further research was done through reading the Mopani monthly magazine and website.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
There are many methods of copper processing employed one of those methods according to
Ntalasha etl (page 67) there are different types of copper ores mined in Zambia and these are:

⮚ Malachite
⮚ Chalcocite
⮚ cuprite
⇒ The one processed at Mufulira Mopani copper mines is chalcopyrite (which is a
sulphide of copper).

And according to Ntalasha etl (page 67) the Mopani copper mines employs two methods
of copper production and these are; processing and smelting.

They are other processes involved in copper processing and these will be covered in the
project.

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DATA PRESENTATION
Copper processing is a long and complicated process and involves a lot of machinery and raw materials
but is very profiting as such worth while.

FIGURE.1 according to the diagram below copper production increased annually.

COPPER

2019
2018
2017
2016

THE FIGURE BELOW SHOWS THAT COPPER PRODUCTION INCREASED YEARLY

6 COPPER

4
Series 3
3

0
2016 2017 2018 2019

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FIGURE.3 The diagram below shows unprocessed copper ore (chalcopyrite)at Mufulira Mopani mines.

FIGURE.4 The diagram above shows floatation tanks employed in copper processing at
Mopani copper mines.

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 FIGURE.5 the figure below shows a blast furnace used at Mopani copper mines in copper
extraction from its ore.

FIGURE.6 shows the first product of copper production at Mopani copper mines blister
copper below

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 FIGURE.7 shows anode copper which is the second product of copper production at Mopani
Mufulira mines.

FIGURE.8 shows the last and the third product of copper processing at Mopani copper mines in
Mufulira (electrolytic copper).

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 DATA INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS
Copper processing at Mopani copper mines in Mufulira starts with extraction of underground
copper ores by underground mining methods .The ores are then crushed and taken to the
surface to ball mills as shown above in figure.4 .The products of the mills is called slurry (a
mixture of water and ore particles).The slurry is then taken through a floatation process to
separate the mineral particles from the waste particles. A chemical called the collector is added
to the slurry. Air is then passed through the slurry causing bubbles. Mineral particles collect
around the particles attached to these bubbles and rise to the surface. The mineral particles
attached to these bubbles are collected and filtered to get rid of the water. Copper produced in
this manner is called copper concentrate and has copper content ranging from 45 to 47%.

The next stage of copper processing at Mopani is smelting. Where copper concentrate is
smelted in the reverbitory furnace as shown in figure.5 containing burning coke and limestone,
the limestone helps to separate the copper from the waste material called slag. This molten
copper is called matte and contains 60% copper. Apart from the slag, there are iron sulphides
and a few metal impurities. The slag is dumped accordingly. The matte is next sent to a
converter, Air is then blown through the molten copper to remove iron and other impurities.
The product from this procedure is called blister copper because escaping gases form blisters
on the surface of the hardened copper(as shown in figure.6 above).Blister copper is about
99.5% pure. The slag is sent back to the reverbitory furnace.

The blister copper is then transferred to an anode furnace where more air is blown trough the
copper to remove the remaining iron sulphides. The oxygen in the copper is removed by
burning green trunks inside the molten copper while charcoal is thrown on the surface of the
molten copper. This copper is called Anode copper and is about 99.8% pure and contains some
traces of impurities such as lead, sulphure e.t.c (as shown in figure.7 above) and contains 99.8%
copper.

For further purification the copper is taken to an electrolytic refinery. In the electrolytic
refinery, the anodes are placed in tanks filled with a solution of dilute sulphuric acid and copper

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sulphate. Cathode sheets are placed alternatively with the anode sheets in large tanks.

When an electrical current is introduced, the anodes dissolve gradually in the solution and pure
copper is deposited on cathode sheets. The cathodes are smelted in a furnace and cast into
various shapes such as wires and bars. This kind of copper is called electrolytic copper and is
about 99.98% pure (as shown in figure.8 above).By products of this process are gold, silver and
selenium. The whole process can be summarized below.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COPPER PROCESSED AT MUFULIRA MOPANI MINES

TYPE OF COPPER MATTE BLISTER ANODE ELECTROLYTIC

COPPER CONCENTRATE COPPER COPPER COPPER
PURITY% 45% -47% 60% 99.5% 98% 99.98%

Mufulira Mopani mines produces five (5) different types of copper and each type can be sold
according to the customers demand. Another product produced at Mufulira Mopani copper
mines is sulphuric acid which is a by product of copper processing.

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PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS
During his research the researcher incountered a lot of problems and limitations such as:

• Lack of adequate funds.

• Lack of access to social media to obtain more information.
• The study site was far from the researcher’s home.
• Transport funds were too high to and from the study site.
• Denial of access to research site.
• Refusal of employees and employers to disclose information on matter.

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CONCLUSION AND EVALUATION
The Mufulira Mopani mines increased production has contributed immensely to Mufuliras
development and other small Industries in Mufulira and the nation as a whole. Mufulira Mopani
copper mines has contributed immensely since its opening in 1913 to the countries GDP by
contributing in community development and paying large sums of money in terms of mineral
loyalties , import VAT , pay as you earn, company income tax, social payments, dividens and

Other payments. This is summarized below

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 RECOMMENDATIONS
⮚ Using alternative source of energy to power the equipment in the mine.
⮚ All processing should be done at one place to reduce on transportation costs.
⮚ The mine should put incentives such as; increasing the salaries of the workers
and bonuses.
⮚ The company should look for more investors.
⮚ The mine must find more clean and reliable methods of processing copper.

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 REFERENCES
⮚ A HIGH SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY TEXTBOOK OF ZAMBIA AND THE SUB-REGION
(NTALASHA).
⮚ EXCEL AND ADVANCE IN GEOGRAPHY LEARNERS BOOK GRADE 12.
⮚ WWW.SENIORGEOGRAPHY.COM
⮚ WWW.GOOGLE.COM
⮚ WWW.MINIGMETHODS.COM
⮚ MOPANI YEARLY MAGAZINE.
⮚ SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY TEXT BOOK.

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