History of copper

Copper is called one of the first metals that man mastered in ancient times and uses it to this day. Copper mining was affordable because the ore had to be smelted at a relatively low temperature. The first ore from which copper began to be mined was malachite ore (calorizator). The Stone Age in human history changed precisely copper, when household items, tools and weapons made of copper became most widespread.

Copper is an element of group XI of period IV periodic table chemical elements D.I. Mendeleev, has atomic number 29 and atomic mass 63.546. The accepted designation is Cu(from Latin Cuprum).

Being in nature

Copper is quite widely represented in the earth's crust, in sedimentary rocks, in marine and fresh waters, and in shales. Distributed both in the form of connections and in an independent version.

Physical and chemical properties

Copper is a ductile, so-called transition metal, and has a golden-pink color. Upon contact with air, an oxide film forms on the surface of copper, giving the metal a yellowish-red tint. The main alloys of copper are known - with zinc (brass), with tin (bronze), with nickel (cupronickel).

Daily copper requirement

The requirement for copper in an adult is 2 mg per day (about 0.035 mg/1 kg of weight).

Copper is one of the most important trace elements for the body, so foods rich in copper should be in everyone's diet. This:

• nuts, cereals,
• fish,
• cereals (especially and),
• dairy products
• , berries and

Signs of copper deficiency

Signs of an insufficient amount of copper in the body are: anemia and poor breathing, loss of appetite, stomach upset, nervousness, depression, fatigue, pigmentation disorders of the skin and hair, fragility and hair loss, rashes on the skin, frequent infections. Internal bleeding is possible.

Signs of Excess Copper

An excess of copper is characterized by insomnia, impaired brain activity, epilepsy, and problems with the menstrual cycle.

Interactions with others

It is assumed that copper and copper compete with each other during absorption in the digestive tract, so an excess of one of these elements in food can cause a deficiency of the other element.

Copper is of great importance in national economy Its main use is in electrical engineering, but the metal is widely used for coinage, often in works of art. Copper is also used in medicine, architecture and construction.

Beneficial properties of copper and its effect on the body

Required for the body's conversion to hemoglobin. Makes it possible to use the amino acid tyrosine, allowing it to exert its effect as a factor in pigmentation of hair and skin. After copper is absorbed by the intestines, it is transported to the liver using albumin. Copper is also involved in the processes of growth and reproduction. Takes part in the formation of collagen and elastin and the synthesis of endorphins - hormones of “happiness”.

In D.I. Mendeleev’s periodic system of elements, copper is located in group I of the 4th period, its serial number is 29. Atomic mass is 63.54. As an element of the first group, copper is monovalent. In this state, it is widely represented in ore minerals, mattes, slags and other products of pyrometallurgy. In the products of their oxidation in nature and in technological processes, the divalent state is more stable.

The melting point of copper is 1083 0 C. The boiling point is 2325 0 C.

Copper is a soft, viscous and malleable metal of red color, easy to machine. Easily rolled into thin sheets and drawn into wire.

The most important property is electrical conductivity (second only to silver). Impurities reduce electrical conductivity, so high-purity copper is used in electrical engineering.

Copper also has high thermal conductivity.

Chemically, copper is inactive, although it can directly combine with oxygen, sulfur, halogens and some other elements.

At normal temperatures and dry air, copper remains inert, but in humid air containing CO 2, copper oxidizes and becomes covered with a protective film of basic carbonate CuCO 3 ·Cu(OH) 2, which is a toxic substance.

Copper does not dissolve in solutions of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids in the absence of an oxidizing agent. In acids that are also oxidizing agents (nitric or hot concentrated sulfuric acid), copper dissolves easily.

At high temperatures in pyrometallurgical processes, stable copper compounds are Cu 2 O and Cu 2 S.

Copper and its sulfide Cu 2 S are good collectors (solvents) of gold and silver, which makes their high associated recovery possible in copper production.

An important property of copper is to form alloys with other metals. These are bronze (Cu + Sn), brass (Cu + Zn) and copper-nickel alloys.

In modern bronzes, aluminum, silicon, beryllium, and lead are used as additives. These bronzes are used for the manufacture of critical parts and cast products.

For example, beryllium bronzes (2% Be) are superior in mechanical properties to many types of steel and have good electrical conductivity. Aluminum bronzes (5-10% Al) are very durable and are used in the manufacture of aircraft engines.

In addition to zinc, aluminum, iron, silicon, and nickel are added to special brasses. Brass is used to make radiators, pipes, flexible hoses, cartridge cases, and art products.

Of the copper-nickel alloys, the most famous are cupronickel (used in shipbuilding, as it is resistant to sea water) and nickel silver - resistant to solutions of salts and organic acids (medical instruments are made).

About 50% of all copper is used by the electrical industry. Copper is also used in mechanical engineering, rocketry, in the production of building materials, in transport, the chemical industry, agriculture.

1.3 Raw materials for copper production

Clark copper, i.e. its content in the earth's crust is 0.01%. However, it forms numerous deposits. Copper is characterized by the presence of all 4 types of ores in nature. However, the main copper raw materials are sulfide ores. Currently, 85-90% of all primary copper is smelted from sulfide ores.

In Russia, copper ores are mined in the Urals - Kirovgrad, Krasnouralsk, Mednogorsk, Gai, etc., in the Arctic - on the Kola Peninsula and Taimyr.

The sources of copper are ores, their enrichment products - concentrates - and secondary raw materials. Recycled raw materials currently account for about 40% of total copper output.

Copper ores are almost entirely polymetallic. There are no monometallic ores of copper in nature. About 30 elements are valuable companions of copper in ore raw materials. The most important of them are: zinc, lead, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, platinum group metals, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, cadmium, germanium, rhenium, indium, thallium, molybdenum, iron.

More than 250 copper minerals are known. Most of them are rare. Greatest industrial value has a small group of minerals, the composition of which is given in Table 2.

Table 2 - Industrial copper minerals

Most copper ores are currently mined by open-pit mining. In Russia, the share of underground mining accounts for about 30%.

In modern practice, ores are usually developed with a copper content of 0.8-1.5%, sometimes higher. But for large deposits of disseminated ores, the minimum copper content suitable for development is 0.4-0.5%. If the rock contains less than the specified amount of copper, its processing is unprofitable.

The value of copper ores increases significantly due to the presence of noble metals and a number of rare metals - selenium, tellurium, rhenium, bismuth, etc.

Due to the low copper content in the ore and the complex nature of the ores, the raw materials are preliminarily subjected to flotation concentration. When beneficiating copper ores, the main product is copper concentrates containing up to 55% Cu (usually 10-30%). Pyrite concentrates and concentrates of other non-ferrous metals, such as zinc, are also obtained. Flotation concentrates are fine powders with particles of 74 microns and a moisture content of 8-10%.

Copper ores and concentrates have the same mineralogical composition and differ only in the quantitative relationships between various minerals. The physical and chemical bases of their metallurgical processing are exactly the same.

Copper is a ductile metal of golden-pink color, which in its pure form is found in nature more often than nuggets of gold or silver. But copper is mainly mined from copper ores - natural mineral formations. Most copper is found in sulfide ores. In oxidation zones, copper is found in most silicates, carbonates and oxides. Copper is also found in sedimentary rocks: shales and cuprous sandstones.

Modern science knows more than 200 minerals containing copper. In industry, metal extracted from sulfates is most often used, including:

• Chalcocite (79% copper);
• Bornite (up to 65%);
• Chalcopyrite, or copper pyrite (about 35%).

Copper is also contained in copper-nickel compounds. The most famous of them is cubanite (up to 45% copper). Of the oxidized ores, it is worth noting cuprite (88%), malachite (up to 58%), azurite (up to 56%). Sometimes there are deposits of native copper.

Characteristics and types of copper

Copper is one of the first metals that people began to use. The chemical symbol is Cu (cuprum). This metal has high thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity. Copper melts at low temperatures, is excellent for soldering, and the metal is easy to cut and process.

Some copper compounds can be toxic to humans. High levels of copper in water and food can cause liver and gallbladder diseases. Quarries left behind after copper mining become sources of toxins. For example, Berkeley Pit Lake, formed in the crater of a former copper mine, is considered the most toxic lake in the world. But the bactericidal properties of copper are disproportionately higher. It has been proven that copper helps fight influenza viruses and destroys staphylococci.

In industry, copper is rarely used in its pure form. The following alloys have found greater use:

• Brass (an alloy of copper and zinc);
• Bronze (with tin);
• Babbitts (with lead);
• Cupronickel (with nickel);
• Dural (with aluminum);
• Jewelry alloy (with gold).

Copper deposits and mining

The largest copper deposit in the world is located in Chile - the Esconida quarry. Huge deposits of native copper were discovered here.

Other large deposits:

• Mines on the Keweenaw Peninsula (USA, Michigan);
• Chuquicamata mine in Chile (up to 600 thousand tons per year);
• Corocoro mine in Bolivia;
• Gumishevsky mine (Middle Urals, Russia) - now depleted;
• Valley of the Levikha River (Middle Urals, Russia);
• Gabbro massif (Italy).

According to the US Geological Survey, the largest copper deposits belong to Chile. Next come the USA, Russia, Peru and Mexico.

Copper mining methods:

• Open;
• Hydrometallurgical - when copper is leached from the rock with a weak solution of sulfuric acid;
• Pyrometallurgical - consists of several stages (concentration, roasting, smelting for matte, purging and refining).

Careful handling of copper ores

Copper ores are a non-renewable resource, and therefore their development requires careful treatment, both in mining methods and in industrial processing.

Industry is increasingly becoming more demanding of constant volumes of resources received, which leads to their gradual depletion. To do this, it is necessary to more carefully control the extraction of copper ores, along with other non-renewable resources such as oil, natural gas, and use them more carefully and rationally, both in industrial and domestic consumption.

Copper Applications

Copper is one of the most important non-ferrous metals, which has found application in almost all spheres of human activity.

• Electrical industry (wires, wire);
• Mechanical engineering (starter, power windows, radiators, coolers, bearings);
• Shipbuilding (hull plating);
• Construction (pipes, pipelines, roofing and facing materials, bathtubs, faucets, sinks);
• In art (jewelry, statues, coinage);
• In everyday life (air conditioners, microwave ovens, coins, food additives, musical instruments).

Interestingly, the Statue of Liberty is made of copper. Its construction required about 80 tons of metal. And in Nepal, copper is considered a sacred metal.

Copper, properties, compounds, alloys, production, application

Copper

Copper(lat. Cuprum) - chemical element Group I of the Mendeleev periodic system (atomic number 29, atomic mass 63.546). In compounds, copper usually exhibits oxidation states +1 and +2; a few trivalent copper compounds are also known. The most important copper compounds: oxides Cu 2 O, CuO, Cu 2 O 3; hydroxide Cu(OH) 2, nitrate Cu(NO 3) 2. 3H 2 O, CuS sulfide, sulfate (copper sulfate) CuSO 4. 5H 2 O, carbonate CuCO 3 Cu(OH) 2, chloride CuCl 2. 2H2O.

Copper- one of the seven metals known since ancient times. The transition period from the Stone to the Bronze Age (4th - 3rd millennium BC) was called copper age or Chalcolithic(from the Greek chalkos - copper and lithos - stone) or Chalcolithic(from Latin aeneus - copper and Greek lithos - stone). Copper tools appeared during this period. It is known that copper tools were used during the construction of the Cheops pyramid.

Pure copper is a malleable and soft metal of a reddish color, pink when fractured, in places with brown and mottled tarnish, heavy (density 8.93 g/cm3), an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, second in this regard only to silver (melting point 1083 ° C). Copper is easily drawn into wire and rolled into thin sheets, but has relatively little activity. In dry air and oxygen under normal conditions, copper does not oxidize. But it reacts quite easily: already at room temperature with halogens, for example with wet chlorine, it forms CuCl 2 chloride, when heated with sulfur it forms Cu 2 S sulfide, with selenium. But copper does not interact with hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen even at high temperatures. Acids that do not have oxidizing properties, copper is not affected by, for example, hydrochloric and dilute sulfuric acids. But in the presence of atmospheric oxygen, copper dissolves in these acids to form the corresponding salts: 2Cu + 4HCl + O2 = 2CuCl2 + 2H2O.

In an atmosphere containing CO 2, H 2 O vapors, etc., it becomes covered with patina - a greenish film of basic carbonate (Cu 2 (OH) 2 CO 3)), a toxic substance.

Copper is included in more than 170 minerals, of which only 17 are important for industry, including: bornite (variegated copper ore - Cu 5 FeS 4), chalcopyrite (copper pyrite - CuFeS 2), chalcocite (copper luster - Cu 2 S) , covellite (CuS), malachite (Cu 2 (OH) 2 CO 3). Native copper is also found.

Copper density, specific gravity of copper and other characteristics of copper

Density - 8.93*10 3 kg/m 3 ;
Specific gravity - 8.93 g/cm3;
Specific heat capacity at 20 °C — 0.094 cal/deg;
Melting temperature - 1083 °C;
Specific heat of fusion - 42 cal/g;
Boiling temperature - 2600 °C;
Linear expansion coefficient(at a temperature of about 20 °C) - 16.7 * 10 6 (1/deg);
Coefficient of thermal conductivity - 335kcal/m*hour*deg;
Resistivity at 20 °C — 0.0167 Ohm*mm 2 /m;

Copper elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio

COPPER COMPOUNDS

Copper (I) oxide Cu 2 O 3 and cuprous oxide (I) Cu2O, like other copper (I) compounds, are less stable than copper (II) compounds. Copper (I) oxide, or copper oxide Cu 2 O, occurs in nature as the mineral cuprite. In addition, it can be obtained as a precipitate of red copper(I) oxide by heating a solution of a copper(II) salt and an alkali in the presence of a strong reducing agent.

Copper(II) oxide, or copper oxide, CuO- a black substance found in nature (for example, in the form of the mineral tenerite). It is obtained by calcination of copper (II) hydroxycarbonate (CuOH) 2 CO 3 or copper (II) nitrate Cu(NO 2) 2.
Copper(II) oxide is a good oxidizing agent. Copper (II) hydroxide Cu(OH) 2 precipitates from solutions of copper (II) salts under the action of alkalis in the form of a blue gelatinous mass. Even with low heating, even under water, it decomposes, turning into black copper (II) oxide.
Copper(II) hydroxide is a very weak base. Therefore, solutions of copper (II) salts in most cases have an acidic reaction, and with weak acids copper forms basic salts.

Copper (II) sulfate CuSO 4 in an anhydrous state it is a white powder, which turns blue when absorbing water. Therefore, it is used to detect traces of moisture in organic liquids. An aqueous solution of copper sulfate has a characteristic blue-blue color. This color is characteristic of hydrated 2+ ions, therefore all dilute solutions of copper (II) salts have the same color, unless they contain any colored anions. From aqueous solutions Copper sulfate crystallizes with five water molecules to form clear blue crystals of copper sulfate. Copper sulfate is used for electrolytic coating of metals with copper, for the preparation of mineral paints, and also as a starting material in the preparation of other copper compounds. In agriculture, a diluted solution of copper sulfate is used to spray plants and treat grain before sowing to destroy spores of harmful fungi.

Copper (II) chloride CuCl 2. 2H2O. Forms dark green crystals, easily soluble in water. Very concentrated solutions of copper (II) chloride are green, diluted solutions are blue-blue.

Copper (II) nitrate Cu(NO 3) 2. 3H2O. It is obtained by dissolving copper in nitric acid. When heated, blue copper nitrate crystals first lose water and then easily decompose, releasing oxygen and brown nitrogen dioxide, turning into copper (II) oxide.

Copper (II) hydroxycarbonate (CuOH) 2 CO 3. It occurs naturally in the form of the mineral malachite, which has a beautiful emerald green color. It is artificially prepared by the action of Na 2 CO 3 on solutions of copper (II) salts.
2CuSO 4 + 2Na 2 CO 3 + H 2 O = (CuOH) 2 CO 3 ↓ + 2Na 2 SO 4 + CO 2
It is used for the production of copper (II) chloride, for the preparation of blue and green mineral paints, as well as in pyrotechnics.

Copper (II) acetate Cu (CH 3 COO) 2. H2O. It is obtained by treating copper metal or copper(II) oxide with acetic acid. Usually it is a mixture of basic salts of various compositions and colors (green and blue-green). Under the name verdigris, it is used to prepare oil paint.

Complex copper compounds are formed as a result of the combination of doubly charged copper ions with ammonia molecules.
A variety of mineral paints are obtained from copper salts.
All copper salts are poisonous. Therefore, to avoid the formation of copper salts, copper utensils are coated on the inside with a layer of tin (tinned).

COPPER PRODUCTION

Copper is mined from oxide and sulfide ores. 80% of all mined copper is smelted from sulfide ores. Typically, copper ores contain a lot of gangue. Therefore, a beneficiation process is used to obtain copper. Copper is obtained by smelting it from sulfide ores. The process consists of a number of operations: roasting, smelting, converting, fire and electrolytic refining. During the firing process, most of the impurity sulfides are converted into oxides. Thus, the main impurity of most copper ores, pyrite FeS 2, turns into Fe 2 O 3. The gases produced during roasting contain CO 2, which is used to produce sulfuric acid. The resulting oxides of iron, zinc and other impurities during the firing process are separated in the form of slag during melting. Liquid copper matte (Cu 2 S with an admixture of FeS) enters the converter, where air is blown through it. During conversion, sulfur dioxide is released and crude or raw copper is obtained. To extract valuable (Au, Ag, Te, etc.) and to remove harmful impurities, blister copper is first subjected to fire and then electrolytic refining. During fire refining, liquid copper is saturated with oxygen. In this case, impurities of iron, zinc and cobalt are oxidized, turn into slag and are removed. And copper is poured into molds. The resulting castings serve as anodes during electrolytic refining.
The main component of the solution during electrolytic refining is copper sulfate - the most common and cheapest copper salt. To increase the low electrical conductivity of copper sulfate, sulfuric acid is added to the electrolyte. And to obtain a compact copper deposit, a small amount of additives is introduced into the solution. Metal impurities contained in unrefined (“blank”) copper can be divided into two groups.

1)Fe, Zn, Ni, Co. These metals have significantly more negative electrode potentials than copper. Therefore, they anodicly dissolve together with copper, but are not deposited on the cathode, but accumulate in the electrolyte in the form of sulfates. Therefore, the electrolyte must be replaced periodically.

2)Au, Ag, Pb, Sn. Noble metals (Au, Ag) do not undergo anodic dissolution, but during the process they settle at the anode, forming anode sludge together with other impurities, which is periodically removed. Tin and lead dissolve together with copper, but in the electrolyte they form poorly soluble compounds that precipitate and are also removed.

COPPER ALLOYS

Alloys, which increase the strength and other properties of copper, are obtained by introducing additives into it, such as zinc, tin, silicon, lead, aluminum, manganese, and nickel. More than 30% of copper is used for alloys.

Brass- alloys of copper and zinc (copper from 60 to 90% and zinc from 40 to 10%) - stronger than copper and less susceptible to oxidation. When silicon and lead are added to brass, its anti-friction qualities increase; when tin, aluminum, manganese and nickel are added, its anti-corrosion resistance increases. Sheets and cast products are used in mechanical engineering, especially in chemical, optics and instrument making, and in the production of meshes for the pulp and paper industry.

Bronze. Previously, bronzes were alloys of copper (80-94%) and tin (20-6%). Currently, tin-free bronzes are produced, named after the main component after copper.

Aluminum bronzes contain 5-11% aluminum, have high mechanical properties combined with anti-corrosion resistance.

Lead bronzes, containing 25-33% lead, are used mainly for the manufacture of bearings operating at high pressures and high sliding speeds.

Silicon bronzes, containing 4-5% silicon, are used as cheap substitutes for tin bronzes.

Beryllium bronzes, containing 1.8-2.3% beryllium, are distinguished by hardness after hardening and high elasticity. They are used for the manufacture of springs and spring products.

Cadmium bronzes- copper alloys with a small amount of cadmium (up to 1%) - are used for the manufacture of fittings for water and gas lines and in mechanical engineering.

Solders— alloys of non-ferrous metals used in soldering to obtain a monolithic soldered seam. Among hard solders, copper-silver alloy is known (44.5-45.5% Ag; 29-31% Cu; the rest is zinc).

USES OF COPPER

Copper, its compounds and alloys are found wide application in various industries.

In electrical engineering, copper is used in its pure form: in the production of cable products, busbars of bare and contact wires, electric generators, telephone and telegraph equipment and radio equipment. Heat exchangers, vacuum devices, and pipelines are made from copper. More than 30% of copper goes to alloys.

Alloys of copper with other metals are used in mechanical engineering, in the automotive and tractor industries (radiators, bearings), and for the manufacture of chemical equipment.

The high viscosity and ductility of the metal make it possible to use copper for the manufacture of a variety of products with very complex patterns. Red copper wire in the annealed state becomes so soft and flexible that you can easily twist all kinds of cords from it and bend the most complex ornamental elements. In addition, copper wire is easily soldered with hard silver solder and is well silvered and gold-plated. These properties of copper make it an indispensable material in the production of filigree products.

The coefficient of linear and volumetric expansion of copper when heated is approximately the same as that of hot enamels, and therefore, when cooled, the enamel adheres well to the copper product and does not crack or bounce off. Thanks to this, craftsmen prefer copper to all other metals for the production of enamel products.

Like some other metals, copper is one of the vital microelements. She is involved in the process photosynthesis and the absorption of nitrogen by plants, promotes the synthesis of sugar, proteins, starch, and vitamins. Most often, copper is added to the soil in the form of pentahydrate sulfate - copper sulfate CuSO 4. 5H 2 O.V large quantities it is poisonous, like many other copper compounds, especially to lower organisms. In small doses, copper is necessary for all living things.

Article rating:

Copper ore is a compound of minerals in which copper is present in sufficient concentration for its further processing and use for industrial purposes. In production, it is advisable to use enriched ore with a metal content of at least 0.5-1%.

Copper- a plastic element of a golden-pink hue. In the open air, the metal is immediately covered with an oxygen film, which gives it a specific red-yellow color.

Characteristic properties: corrosion resistance, high thermal and electrical conductivity.

At the same time, the element has high antibacterial properties , destroys influenza viruses and staphylococci.

IN industrial complex Most often, copper is used in alloys with other components: nickel, zinc, tin, gold, etc.

Due to its low resistivity, copper is actively used in the electrical field for the manufacture of power cables and wires. Good thermal conductivity allows this metal to be used in cooling radiators and air conditioners.

The following manufacturing sectors cannot do without copper:

• mechanical engineering (window lifters, bearings);
• shipbuilding (plating of hulls and structures);
• construction (pipes, roofing and facing materials, plumbing equipment, etc.).

For the jewelry industry, alloys with gold are relevant, which increase mechanical strength and abrasion resistance.

Experts predict large-scale use of metal as antibacterial surfaces in medical institutions(railings, doors, handles, handrails, etc.).

Interesting! The famous Statue of Liberty is made of copper. Its construction required about 80 tons of material. And in Nepal this metal is considered sacred.

Statue of Liberty

Groups of copper ores

All copper ores are usually divided into nine industrial-geological types, which in turn are divided into six groups according to origin:

Stratiform group

This group includes copper shales and sandstones. These materials are represented by large deposits. Their character traits: simple reservoir shape, uniform distribution of useful components, flat surface bedding, allowing the use of open mining methods.

Pyrite group

This includes native copper, vein and copper-pyrite compounds. The native metal is most often found in the oxidation zones of copper sulfide mines, along with other oxidized minerals.

Copper pyrite metals differ in shapes and sizes. The main mineral in the ore is pyrite; chalcopyrites and sphalerites are also present.

Vein ores are characterized by a vein structure with inclusions. Such ores, as a rule, occur in contact with porphyries.

Porphyry copper (hydrothermal)

These deposits, together with copper and molybdenum, contain gold, silver, selenium and other useful elements, the presence of which is significantly higher than normal.

Copper-nickel

The deposits are presented in sheet, lens-shaped, irregular and vein forms. The metal has a massive texture interspersed with cobalt, platinum group metals, gold, etc.

Skarn Ore

Skarn ores are local deposits in limestones and calcareous-terrigenous rocks. They are characterized small in size and complex morphology. The copper concentration is high, but uneven - up to 3%.

Carbonate

This group includes iron-copper and carbonatite ore. So far, the only deposit of this type of copper has been discovered in South Africa. This complex mine belongs to the alkaline rock massif.

What ores do copper come from?

Interesting! Copper is very rarely found in nature in the form of nuggets. To date, the largest such find is considered to be a nugget discovered in North America in the United States weighing 420 tons.

There are almost 250 types of copper, but only 20 types are used in industry. The most common of them:

Chalcozine

A compound of minerals containing sulfur (20%) and copper (80%). It is called "copper luster" because of its characteristic metallic luster. The ore has a dense or granular structure of black or gray hue.

Chalcopyrite

The metal is of hydrothermal origin and is found in skarns and greisens. Most often it is part of polymetallic ore along with galena and sphalerite.

Bornite

A common mineral of the sulfide class in nature, one of the main elements of copper ores. It has a characteristic bluish-purple tint. Contains copper (63.33%), iron (11.12%), sulfur (25.55%) and silver impurities. It occurs in the form of dense, fine-grained masses.

Copper ore mining methods

Depending on the depth of the mine, open and closed methods of metal extraction are used.

In closed (underground) mining, mines are built several kilometers long. The mines are equipped with elevators to move workers and equipment, as well as to transport minerals to the surface.

Underground, the rock must be crushed using special drilling equipment with spikes. Then, with the help of buckets, the ore is collected and loaded.

The open method is relevant when the deposits are located at a depth of 400-500 meters. First, the top layer of waste rock is removed, after which the copper ore is removed. To make it easier to get hard rocks, it is first destroyed with explosive devices.

Open pit method of copper ore mining

There are two main methods for producing copper:

• pyrometallurgical;
• hydrometallurgical.

The first method involves fire refining of metal and allows you to process any raw material with the extraction of all useful elements. Using this technology, it is possible to obtain copper even from poor rock, in which the metal content is below 0.5%. The second method is used, as a rule, only for processing oxidized or native ore with a low copper content.

Mining of copper ores in the world

Copper mines are not concentrated in specific geographical areas, but are found in different countries. In America, chalcocite deposits are being developed in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Deposits of copper oxide, cuprite, are common in Cuba. Copper chloride is mined in Peru.

There are almost no sources of enriched ores left in the world; copper has been mined for several hundred years, so all the rich mines have long been developed. In industry it is necessary to use low-grade minerals (up to 0.5% copper).

Interesting! In terms of global production, copper is in third place after iron and aluminum.

Leading countries in copper ore reserves and production

The list of countries rich in copper ores includes: Chile, America, China, Kazakhstan, Poland, Indonesia, Zambia. The Russian Federation's share in world ore production is 9% (this is third place after Chile and the USA). Chile is the leader in mineral reserves, containing 33% of the world's copper.

The largest mines are:

• Chuquicamata mine (Chile). Development has been carried out for more than 100 years, during this period 26 million tons of metal were developed;

• Escondida mine (Chile). Mining has been carried out since 1990;

• Grasberg mine (Indonesia).

Recently, large mines were discovered in Peru (Antamina), Brazil (Salobu), and Kazakhstan (Nurkazgan).

Experts say that the volume of economically viable copper is more than 400 million tons. Worldwide.

Copper ore mining in Russia

The structure of the copper raw material base in Russia differs significantly from the world market. The main share in it falls on sulfide copper-nickel (40%) and pyrite (19%) mines. While in other countries porphyry copper deposits and cuprous sandstones predominate.

Copper ore deposits in Russia

Answering the question of where copper ores are mined in Russia, the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug should first be highlighted. More than 60% of all copper ore deposits in Russia are concentrated in the Oktyabrsky, Tapakhninsky and Norilsk deposits. About one third of the mineral is mined in the Ural copper mining region.

A large Udokan mine has been discovered in the Chita region, which has not yet been developed due to undeveloped transport infrastructure. According to expert data, the exploited deposits in the Russian Federation will last no more than 30 years.

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