Pyrometallurgical techniques use heat to separate copper from copper sulfide ore concentrates. Refining of copper refining processes to obtain the commercial grades it is therefore necessary to refine the crude blister by refining processes. Four of the five largest refineriesand 10 of the top 20are located in mainland china. Andritz maerz offers converter, melting and refining furnaces for primary and secondary copper production, as well as for the processing copper industry. Copper can be extracted from nonsulfide ores by a different process involving three separate stages. Our copper refining technology allows the use of higherimpurity charge materials, and still produce premium quality refined copper. Electrorefining operations copper anodes from the converter process are dissolved electrolytically using an acid copper sulphate solution as an electrolyte. 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. The copperloaded cathodes are washed to remove electrolyte and slimes. Generalized proc ess description precious metals may be recovered from the ore or from refining processes of base metals such as copper and lead.
Typically, blister copper is then firerefined in an anode furnace, cast into. That means that to become a marketready copper product it must undergo a variety of physical and. As the copper anode dissolves, metallic impurities precipitate and form a sludge. Electrolytic refining of impure copper is the best available copper purification method in the world. In an electrorefining process, the anode is the impure metal and the. And then, the ultimate dream comes true you strike a. The electrorefining process there are two main types of electrolytic processescalled electrorefining and electrowinning. Copper is purified further using electrolysis and we call it copper electrorefining electrolytic refining.
The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes. 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. During electrolysis pure copper is deposited in the form of. In its pure form or as an alloy, copper cu is one of the most important metals in society. Such a high degree of purity can be obtained by electrolytic refining in a cell similar to that shown in fig. Copper refining copper uses the properties of copper and its alloys that make it a major metal of commerce may be summarized as follows. A considerable amount of copper scrap is used in primary copper smelters, and the amount and type depend on which process routes exist for primary concentrate. The electrolytic process of goldrefining has three disadvantages as compared with the sulphuric acid process. Even small concentrations of impurities noticeably lower coppers electrical conductivity. The plated copper is then machinestripped from the stainless steel blanks, sampled, and stacked for shipping, typically in batches of 2. It also shows the reduction process showing copper being reduced out of solution using electricity. When a vein of which is found, it is acquired with the greatest labour by digging and breaking. Pdf a simple, clean and efficient onepot process is offered as an alternative to the conventional complex processing presently used to extract copper. This paper describes the role and process of copper refining.
The life cycle of copper, its coproducts and byproducts. Nov 20, 2019 four of the five largest refineriesand 10 of the top 20are located in mainland china. Chalcopyrite also known as copper pyrites and similar sulfide ores are the commonest ores of copper. The casts quality was assessed based on microstructure, chemical content analysis and strength properties tests. Copper electrolysis refining plant, purification of copper by. 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.
Cathodes produced from starter sheets are handled similarly but do not require stripping. Lead bullion contains many other metallic impurities including antimony, arsenic, copper, tin and zinc. Copper purification process electrolytic copper refining. The electrorefining process was introduced about a hundred years ago to produce a substitute to firerefined copper. Melting and refining technology for copper produced from scrap charge. The electrolytic copper production is processed in the huge copper electrolytic tank fulfilled with copper electrolytic solution. The metal is processed electrolytically using the moebius. Copper refining video a short video clip illustrating the process of copper refining that can be viewed online by students or downloaded for showing in class.
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, roasted, firerefined and cast into dore1 mefal anodes. Depending on the qualitygrade of the scrap, refining is required, which is usually done through electrorefining. The copper anode is dissolved and deposited at the cathode. Refining of blister copper national metallurgical laboratory. The electrolyte is a trichloride solution, carrying in the first set of cells 70 g. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, local environmental regulations, and other factors. Pdf early bronze age refining of copper christopher j. Mullick irude blister produced in smelting process may contain impurities like fe, s, 0, zn, ni, as, sb.
Bryson synopsis the minataur process mintek alternative technology for au refining is a novel route for the production of highpurity gold using. Canadian copper refiners ltd original assignee canadian copper refiners ltd priority date the priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Concentration of the copper ii sulfate solution by solvent extraction. Ii2 copper mine, smelter and refinery production in developing countries in 1965, and 199. The repeated application of such fire refining processes was capable of producing copper that was 99. In refining copper, the metal is melted down in a reverberatory furnace in a more or less oxidizing atmosphere and then further subjected to an oxidizing smelting in order to eliminate the common impurities, most of which have a stronger affinity for oxygen than has copper. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source. Copper electrolysis refining plant, purification of copper. Historical and modeled intensity of use consumption of refined copper as a function of gdpcapita in 19601997. The five largest alone have a combined capacity of over 7 million metric tons or about 33% of global capacity. Pdf the decreasing quality of the input materials in copper recycling leads to a higher content of impurities in the anode copper. Reaction of the ore over quite a long time and on a huge scale with a dilute acid such as dilute sulfuric acid to produce a very dilute copper ii sulfate solution.
Copper strip corrosion astm d 1 test conducted at 122deg f for 3hrs. Pdf clean and efficient extraction of copper ions and deposition. The two processes involved are 1 fire refining process, and 2 electrolytic process. Bryson synopsis the minataur process mintek alternative technology for au refining is a novel route for the production of highpurity gold using solvent extraction. From ore to market mined rock typically contains less than 1 percent copper. At the anode, copper goes into solution as copperii ions. Imagine with me for a moment that you just bought your first piece of property, and start digging it up to build a house. In industry this is carried out on a massive scale. The purification uses an electrolyte of copperii sulphate solution, impure copper anodes, and strips of high purity copper for the cathodes.
There was a clear recognition that the maintenance of electrode spacing or. The electrolytic process of gold refining has three disadvantages as compared with the sulphuric acid process. Gold is commonly associated with the sulfides of antimony, arsenic, copper, iron, and silver. Copper processing, the extraction of copper from its ores and the preparation of copper metal or chemical compounds for use in various products. Blister copper in the form of a large plate is made as anode.
Process steps include mining, concentration, roasting, smelting, converting, and finally fire and electrolytic refining. Crude blister in slabs is firerefined, and then cast into anodes for electrolytic refining. The construction of the furnace is basically related to that of the iron blast furnace, but there are considerable differences in design, especially in size and shape. At the anode, copper goes into solution as copper ii ions. Electrolytic refining separates copper from impurities by electrolysis in a solution containing copper sulfate cu2so4 and sulfuric acid h2so4. The most common types of ore, copper oxide and copper sulfide, undergo two different processes, hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, respectively, due. The longer the experiment is run, the more copper plating will appear on the dime. The copper industry was based essentially on the use of a copper starter sheet as the substrate for the refined copper deposition. The royal society of chemistry thanks the following individuals and organisations for their help in producing the original video clips.
The average compositions of blisters from primary and secondary raw materials are given in table 1. Us3389064a electrolytic refining of copper and tank. The repeated application of such firerefining processes was capable of producing copper that was 99. Us3389064a electrolytic refining of copper and tank house. Copper is present in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, dried beans, nuts, meats, seafood and chocolate, as well as drinking water. Nov 28, 2019 the electro refining process there are two main types of electrolytic processescalled electro refining and electrowinning. Melting and refining technology for copper produced from scrap charge our copper refining technology allows the use of higherimpurity charge materials, and still produce premium quality refined copper. 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. Primary copper smelter and refinery as a recycling plant. Dore1 metal is a goldsilvercopper al loy containing 80 percent silver. Today, practically all of the worlds copper production 8,000,000 metric tonsyear is electrorefined, constituting by far the largest electrolytic refining industry. At the cathode, copperii ions are deposited as copper. Three of the 20 largest copper refineries are owned by chilean stateowned copper giant codelco. The electrolytically refined copper may be treated to endproduct as wire.
At the cathode, copper ii ions are deposited as copper. The products of this operation are pure copper cathodes and an anode slime which platinum metals rev. Gold refining by solvent extractionthe minataur process by a. The purification uses an electrolyte of copper ii sulphate solution, impure copper anodes, and strips of high purity copper for the cathodes. The paper presents the analysis of technology of copper and alloyed copper destined for power engineering casts. 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. Melting and refining technology for copper produced from.
In the 1970s operating current densities with this technology were typically around 220250 amps per square metre. That means that to become a marketready copper product it must undergo a. In this example the recovery rate for a copper smelter is 98. Electrorefining of copper universidade federal do rio. Beneficiation by froth flotation of ore to give copper concentrate optional partial roasting to obtain oxidized material or calcines 2. Melting and refining technology for copper produced from scrap charge air products and chemicals, inc. The pure metal has a facecentred cubic crystal structure, and.
Pdf pyrometallurgical refining of copper in an anode furnace. 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, roasted, firerefined and cast into dore1 mefal anodes. The ores typically contain low percentages of copper and have to be concentrated before refining e. Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. Iii 4 iii3 concentration in smelter and refinery capacity 1979. The value of free gold and silver is normally greater than the value of the free metal for copper. Maerz is a specialist for industrial furnace plants and one of the leading suppliers of engineering, knowhow, and process technology to the steel and copper industry.
The diagram shows a very simplified view of a cell. Blister copper is refined by an electrolytic process. 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. The copper loaded cathodes are washed to remove electrolyte and slimes. A naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver is known as electrum. Gold refining by solvent extractionthe minataur process. Copper purification process electrolytic copper refining plant. Fill in the diagram below of commercialscale electrolytic refining by labeling the anodes and cathodes, and by drawing in the movement of copper ions figure 10.
Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore less than 1% copper and ends with sheets of 99. The purest copper is obtained by an electrolytic process, undertaken using a slab of impure copper as the anode and a thin sheet of pure copper as the cathode. The life cycle of copper, its coproducts and byproducts robert u. Electrolytic refining and winning of metals springerlink. Copper wire is used because copper is known for its properties as an excellent electrical conductor it likely does not contribute significantly to the plating of copper on the dime. The second process is normally taken up with the product of the first process. Removal of copper copper is the first of the impurities to be removed. Iii 6 iii4 copper refining capacity in the market economies by producing unit end 1977. Casting of alloyed or refined copper products is the final step used by the secondary copper industry in the recovery of copper from scrap material. Pyrometallurgical techniques the lead bullion is fed into a refining kettle. In some applications, copper produced by this method may compete with copper that underwent electrolytic refining. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed. In these operations some of the copper is oxidized to cuprous oxide and dissolved by the metal bath.