MME- 213

Extractive
Metallurgy
Week 13

Extraction of metals from sulphide ores:

Extraction of Cu
 • A large number of metals are economically produced from
Extraction of ores that contain sulphide minerals.

metals from • Important metals that are extracted from sulphide ores--
Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni.
sulphide ores • Extraction of a metal from a sulphide ore is more
challenging than from an oxide ore.
• Possible method of extraction is dead roasting of a sulfide
to an oxide followed by reduction of oxide by C.
Extraction of metals from
sulphide ores
A metal can be produced from a sulphide ore by one or more of the
following methods.
• Thermal Decomposition
• Roasting and subsequent reduction
• Controlled roasting followed by smelting to produce matte and
converting matte into metal
• Electrolysis of a sulphide matte obtained from smelting or converting
operations
• Metallothermic reduction of sulphide
• Hydrometallurgical processing of sulphide
• Chlorination of sulphide and subsequent metal recovery
 Uses of Copper
• Copper is perhaps the most
important non-ferrous metal.
• Melting point of Cu – 1083 °C.
• Boiling point of Cu-- 2,595 °C.
• FCC crystal structure.
• Density: 8.96 g/cm3
Comparison of properties
Metal Thermal conductivity Sec-1 °Electrical resistivity
Near 20 °C Near 20 °C • Cu – high electrical conductivity
(cal cm-1 sec-1 °C-1 (10-6 ohm cm) • Cu – high thermal conductivity
• Adequate mechanical properties-
Ag 1.00 1.59 better than Al
• High resistance to various types of
Cu 0.94 1.67 corrosion
• High scrap value
Au 0.71 2.19 • Amenable to fabrication by several
techniques
Al 0.53 2.66

Ag is outstanding in terms
130,909.4 PKR/kg
of electrical and thermal
conductivity
 The relative percentages of world-wide uses of Cu

Electrical applications: 35%

Telecommunication: 5%

Uses of Power transmission lines:

Automobile industry:
7%
10%
Copper Building industry: 8%
Railway equipment: 3%
Miscellaneous: 32%
 World reserves of common metals
250
World reserves of Cu by countries in million tons
200

150

100 200
180

50 93
77
62 53 48
31 31 26 24 21 20 9.8
0
Chile Aus Peru Russia Mex USA DR Congo Pol China Indon Zambia Kazak Canada Others

https://www.statista.com/statistics/273637/copper-reserves-by-country/
World reserves
of Cu

What is Tethyan Belt?

The Tethyan Metallogenic Belt
(TMB), extending from Europe
through Anatolia to Asia, is one
of the world's major metal
producing belts. This figure
illustrates world most
important mineral belts.
Source: Turkey Ministry of
Energy and Natural Resources.
Tethyan belt- world class Cu deposits
contains approximately 75 million ozs Au and 75 billion lbs Cu.
• Sar Chesmeh mine (Iran), 1.2 billion tonnes Cu ore containing Cu in
concentration around 0.8% (active mine producing Cu).
• Saindak mine, 400-440 million tonnes, Cu concentration (0.38-0.41%) and
gold around 0.32-0.5 (g/tons) (active mine, producing Cu and gold).
• Rekodiq deposits, 5.9 billion tonnes, Cu concentration (0.41-0.5, 12.3 million
tons) and gold around 0.22-0.29 (g/tons, 20.9 million ounces, 592,505 kg)
(contract finalised, installation started).
Copper ore reserves of Pakistan are quite encouraging and great

• Northwaziristan ore deposits estimated reserves (ores around 122 m tons

with Cu content around 0.38-2%). More reserves are present Gilgit Baltistan
and Lasbella.
https://slideplayer.com/slide/15441311/
Copper production by countries
Sources of Cu
• Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2)
• Chalcocite (Cu2S)
• Bornite (Cu5FeS4)
• Covellite (CuS)
• Enargite (CuAsS4)
• Malachite (CuCO3. Cu(OH)2)
• Azurite (2CuCO3.Cu(OH)2)
• Cuprite(Cu2O)
• Chrysocolla (CuSiO3.2H2O)
Although all Cu minerals
contain a large quantity of Cu,
the actual Cu ores contain only
small quantity of Cu because of
contamination by other
sulphides and gangues.
Sulphide ore containing 0.5-2%
Cu is suitable for Cu extraction.
Sources of Cu

Cuprite(Cu2O) Chalcocite (Cu2S) Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2)

Malachite (CuCO3. Cu(OH)2) Covellite (CuS) Bornite (Cu5FeS4)

 • In a Cu ore, chalcopyrite is 34%, pyrite is 30%, and
SiO2 is 36%.
Determine %Cu, %Fe and %S.
Calculations Consider molar mass of Cu: 64, Fe: 56 and S: 32

• Calculate % gangue in chalcocite ore when Cu is

11.83%.