Processing Of Copper Ore
1. Mining
The ore is removed from the ground in either open pit or underground mines. Underground – singking a vertical shaft into the earth to reach the copper ore and driving horizontal tunnels into the ore. Open Pit – 90% of ore is mined using the open pit method. Ores near the surface can be quarried after removal of the surface layers.
2. The
Ore
An ore is a rock than contains enough
metal to make it worthwhile extracting
3. Transport
Of Ore
After mining the copper ore, the ore will be transported with a dump truck and brought to the processing plant.
4. Crushing
The ore crushed into smaller sizes.
5. Grinding
After the ore is crushed, then ground into powder.
6. Concentrating
The ore is enriched using a process called froth flotation. Unwanted material (called gangue) sinks to the bottom and is removed.
7.
Roasting
This is where the chemical reactions start. The powdered, enriched ore is heated in air between 500°C and 700°C to remove some Sulphur and dry the ore, which is still a solid called calcine.
8.
Leaching
Leaching offers an alternative to copper mining. First, the ore is treated with dilute sulphuric acid. This trickles slowly down through the ore, over a period of months, dissolving copper to form a weak solution of copper sulphate. The copper is then recovered by electrolysis. This process is known as SX-EW (solvent extraction/electrowinning). In this proses, there is a separation between tailing and pure copper.
Plant
In The Processing Of Copper Ore
1. Haul Truck
2. Primary Crusher
3. Conveyor Belt
4. Sag Mill
5. Ball Mill
6. Pneumatic Flotation Cell
7. Tailings Thickener
Copper In Daily Life
1. Wall Clocks and Watches
Due to the non-magnetic nature of copper they do not interfere with the operation of small mechanical devices. As a result, watchmakers use a lot of copper pins and wheels in their watch designs.
2. For a basic home furnishing material
3. For mixture of bronze and silver medals
4. Musical Instruments
Copper alloys such as brass are used to make trumpet, trombone, and saxophone instruments due to their corrosion resistance and anti-bacterial properties.
5. Electronic
The benefits of copper in the electricity sector are arguably very vital. Apart from silver, copper is the most effective conductor of electricity. This is due to its resistance to corrosion, ductility, flexibility and ability to conduct strong electric currents, making it ideal for making electrical cables. Almost all electrical wiring, except for the overhead power lines (which are made of aluminum because they are lighter) is formed from copper. The busbar, which is the power distribution conductor, transformer, and motor windings (dynamo) also all depends on the conductivity of the copper. Because of its effectiveness as a conductor of electricity, the efficiency value of a transformer made of copper can reach 99.75 percent.
6. Health Copper
in the health sector, is a mineral needed by the human body. Copper minerals help the human body's metabolism to produce energy. So, if a person weighs 70 kg, approximately 72 mg of copper for his body. In addition to metabolism, copper is also needed for certain conditions in the human body. For example, the need for copper for people who have hypertension and heart disease caused by cholesterol. In addition, copper is also needed to prevent osteoporosis, collagen production, maintain immunity and antioxidant properties.
7. Construction
In the building sector, copper pipe is now the standard material for drinking water pipes and heating systems in most developed countries. Here copper is used because of its bacteriostatic properties, or in other words the ability of copper to inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses in water. Another benefit of copper in the construction sector is as a tubing material because of its malleability and soldering which can be easily bent and assembled, as well as its resistance to corrosion caused by extreme temperatures. Copper and its alloys are also considered to be the most stable and corrosion resistant, making them ideal for use not only in the manufacture of drinking water (fresh water) pipes but also pipes in contact with sea water (salt water).
8. Transportation
The benefits of copper in the transportation sector can be seen in the core components of aircraft, trains, cars and ships all depending on the electrical and thermal properties of copper. In automobiles, copper, brass, and oil coolers have been industry standards since the 1970s. Recently, the increasing use of electronic components, including onboard navigation systems, anti-lock braking systems and heat-resistant seats, has continued to increase the demand for this metal.
