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After the crushed ore is extracted the stopes are backfilled with a cemented aggregate of crushed waste rock (mullock), deslimed mill tailings, cement and pulverised fuel and fuel ash. Drilling sub- levels are developed at 40-meter intervals.
Blast hole drilling is carried out using mechanised drill rigs. This means that Ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) is the main explosive and is capable of blowing away 100 000 tonnes in one firing. These big loaders have a 6.1 cubic meter bucket capacity. Ore is either tipped directly into passes leading to the crusher, or tipped into trucks. .
The crushed ore is then conveyed by 1.6 kilometre cable belt to the U62 hoisting system where 36 tonne skips are used to take the ore to the surface for 100% extraction. .
Refining and Processing:.
From the ore mines, smelting, leaching and electrolysis are the methods used to obtain the copper extract.
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There are two different ways to process and refine copper. The top option is to feed handle it from the start and then goes through the smelter which sorts out the purest of the copper. After this the copper is then gas handled in a factory.
The second option is to start with water treatment before the copper goes through the acid plant, which breaks down the copper, after this the copper, goes through the smelter which sorts out the purest of the copper. It is then refined in a factory.
Copper Uses: .
Copper's greatest percentage of use is in electrical wiring and motors. Copper is a good conductor of heat and electricity- hence its use in wiring. Brass and bronze are both copper alloys and are extensively used. All American coins are now copper alloys and gun metals also contain copper.
Copper sulphate can be and is widely used as an agricultural poison, which has an algicide in water purification. .
Copper compounds such as Fehling's solution are used in chemical tests for sugar detection. .
The pipes and electrical wiring in most homes are made of copper.
