Extraction and Processing of Copper
Each type of ore has a method to process and extract. If the ore is parallel with the surface, it is best to use an open pit mine because it would be more economical to strip the top off the ore until it’s able to mine across the top of the ore. If the ore is at a steep angle to surface, you can dig down right into the ore, as an underground mine. When the ore has been exposed, it is to be removed to the processing site. The easiest way in doing that is to drill holes into the ore, then pour explosive mixture into the open holes. Once the mixture has exploded, the ore would be broken down into smaller pieces. Then, a giant loader with a huge bucket moves into the ground to scoop up the ore. The large trucks are loaded right at the site, from there they take the ore to the appropriate processing site, depending whether it is oxide or sulfide.Sulfide ore, which is copper ore chemically combining with mostly sulfur, usually is found deeper in a deposit, where only little oxygen is available. Sulfide ore is transport
The above processing was for sulfide ore. An oxide ore, similar to the sulfide ore, is an ore, which contains copper and oxygen, compounds. However, unlike the sulfide ore, this type of ore is found near the surface where there is plenty of oxygen to react with the copper rather then deep under the ground. Trucks dump the oxides in big piles and under these piles are liners that have collection ponds. Dilute sulfuric acid is pumped through tubes that are on top of these piles. The acid drains down into the pile and dissolves the copper out of the oxide ore. Not only does the sulfuric acid percolate the copper out, but also other organic agents (microbes) help to process the copper out of the ore. The copper sulfate solution collects on the bottom at the collection pools. From there, it is pumped to the electrowinning facility through the solvent extraction. Here it is purified further until the solution turns into a deep blue colour. Then it is ready for electrowinning. In that facility, copper sheets and lead sheets
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sulfide ore,
electrowinning facility,
oxide ore,
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ore mills,
ore contains,
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Approximate Word count = 688
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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