Biografía

Copper Extraction


Copper has been known to the human race since the prehistoric times. It has been extracted from the earth for about 500 years now, this is all because it is found naturally, this then benefited the human kind because copper was a main reason for its growth into the bronze age. Bronze is a metal alloy, which consisted of copper and tin. It created a tough and strong metal,which could be used for different uses. Copper has always been a demand but in the last century for electronics it has become a revelation. It is the second most conductive metal on the earth. For its price it is the best as silver is much rarer. Copper configuration is [Ar] 4s1 3d10 and its symbol on the periodic table is Cu. In the reactivity series copper lies in between lead and silver, that iswhy copper is often found also in minerals or pure. Copper is probably one of the most known metals in the world because of it quantity, but why is it extracted? How it is extracted? And what are the positives and negatives of this extraction? These are all questions to be answered in this essay.

Copper is a reddish coloured metal and has a bright metallic shine. It has different propertiesthat set it apart to other metals. It is a tough but ductile metal. It is corrosion resistant even though it does react with air to create a blue green colour but it still keeps its physical properties of copper and example of this is the statue of liberty. Other properties is that it is easily joined when heated, not magnetic, easy to alloy, anti-bacterial, a good thermal conductor, a goodelectrical conductor, it can act as a catalytic, it is easily recyclable and has an attractive colour. Some of these properties are essential for our daily life and that’s why we extract them. It is used in paint used for undersides of ships to protect them, it is used in pipes for sewages or water supply, it is used for refrigerators, air-condition systems, computers are al very reliant to copper ascopper can cool essential components down by absorbing the heat, copper is also added to some fungicides and nutritional supplements, it is used in lighting rods, also in musical instruments, it is used to colour glass and probably most known nowadays for its use in electrical appliances wires because of its conductivity and price. Copper is also very useful when it’s in an alloy, for example nickeland copper create an alloy, which is completely resistant to corrosion. Copper fills a lot of needs in the social life and countries economies and benefits financially but what issues arise when we extract this red- orange metal from the ground.


Mention reactivity series in extraction!!!



The first step of making a metal pure is by mining it, the country that produces e most is Chilehaving produced over 5,300,000 tonnes of copper, second is the U.S. producing only about 1/5 of that! The extraction of metals has been done for hundreds of years it's the extraction in the making of a solid metal. The extraction method is decided by the state the ore is in, for example if it is a mineral form if it is pure, etc. after that it is purified.

Copper when mined is mostly foundwith minerals and lots of unwanted rock, its impure. Copper can be found with malachite, cuprite, bornite, azurite, and chalcopyrite. An ore is changed chemically to obtain metal and there are different methods of that, this process is called reduction. There are lots of different stages the copper goes thorough of extraction each the copper is more pure. The copper is first extracted from itssulphide ores and the ground and crushed and sent to froth flotation plants. In the froth flotation plants the crushed copper ore is mixed with paraffin oil to make the grinned copper mineral water repellent. The next step in concentration is the placing of the copper ore in a bath full of foaming agent. Then jets of air are forced through and the repellent copper minerals float on top of the liquid...