Copper

The method of copper extraction - hydrometallurgy or pyrometallurgy - depends on the type of ore. Sulphide ores can be smelted in shaft furnaces to form copper matte. This is then processed in a Pierce-Smith converter to produce black copper or blister, which can already have a copper content of up to 96%.

The method of copper extraction - hydrometallurgy or pyrometallurgy - depends on the type of ore. Sulphide ores can be smelted in shaft furnaces to form copper matte. This is then processed in a Pierce-Smith converter to produce black copper or blister, which can already have a copper content of up to 96%.

The molten copper produced by these processes is normally cast into blocks of pure copper or into formats. Further processing of the refined copper is carried out according to market demand, in terms of quantity and quality. It produces a great variety of copper alloys, including chrome copper, copper-tin alloys (brass), aluminium bronzes (which are used in ship propellers), and copper-nickel casting alloys which are seawater resistant and used in marine applications.

The history of copper extraction only really started to get interesting during industrialisation, when copper alloys were increasingly used and eventually took over from the previously widespread bronzes. As happened often in history, the development of copper alloys received a boost through their use for military purposes. Bronze guns and cannons in particular, which actually consisted of a copper-tin-zinc-lead alloy, fulfilled military requirements much better than their predecessors. Today, copper is used mainly in modern electronics, e.g. in cable harnesses and overhead lines, or in water and heating pipes. Electricity cables are obviously used in many industries, including automotive manufacturing, where the demand for copper will rise with the increasing production of electric cars. In marine applications, copper, which is corrosion-resistant, is used underwater, e.g. to minimise the growth of algae and barnacles.