How can copper be extracted from cuprite

A typical ore contains only 0. It is a measure of the value of copper that it is worth extracting it from such small concentrations. The ore is a mixture of minerals and rock called gangue. The most common copper minerals are:.

The powdered ore is mixed with a special paraffin oil which makes the copper mineral particles water repellent. It is then fed into a bath of water containing a foaming agent which produces a kind of bubble bath. When jets of air are forced up through the bath, the water repellent copper mineral particles are picked up by the bubbles of foam.

They float to the surface making a froth. The unwanted waste rock gangue falls to the bottom and is removed. Copper II ions are deposited as copper on the cathode for the electrode equation, see under the purification of copper below. The anodes for this process were traditionally lead-based alloys, but newer methods use titanium or stainless steel. The cathode is either a strip of very pure copper which the new copper plates on to, or stainless steel which it has to be removed from later.

Purification of copper When copper is made from sulfide ores by the first method above, it is impure. Electrolytic Refining The purification uses an electrolyte of copper II sulfate solution, impure copper anodes, and strips of high purity copper for the cathodes. At the cathode, copper II ions are deposited as copper. What happens to the impurities? Uses of copper Amongst other things copper is used for: electrical wiring.

It is a very good conductor of electricity and is easily drawn out into wires. It does not react with water, and is easily bent into shape. It is a good conductor of heat and does not react with water. Brass is a copper-zinc alloy. Alloying produces a metal harder than either copper or zinc individually.

Bronze is another copper alloy, but with tin. In many countries, as well as the more obvious copper-colored coins, "silver" coins are also copper alloys - this time with nickel; these are known as cupronickel alloys. UK pound coins and the gold-colored bits of euro coins are copper-zinc-nickel alloys. Contributors and Attributions Jim Clark Chemguide. But that's silly! Note: You aren't going to make much sense of this next bit if you don't have a good working knowledge of oxidation states oxidation numbers.

If you aren't sure, then either follow this link which could take you some time or skip this bit completely if you don't need to be able to do it. If you choose to follow this link, use the BACK button on your browser to return to this page later.

That means that both the copper and the oxygen have been reduced decrease in oxidation state. The sulphur has been oxidised increase in oxidation state. The other reaction is more difficult to deal with, because you can't work out all of the oxidation states by following the simple rules - there are too many variables in some of the substances.

I don't feel qualified to go any further with this. Note: Until I added the questions in July , I had always assumed on no good evidence - never a good idea! Because of the uncertainty, I have just deleted the paragraphs about this.

It shouldn't be asked at this level anyway. Copper can be extracted from non-sulphide ores by a different process involving three separate stages:.

Reaction of the ore over quite a long time and on a huge scale with a dilute acid such as dilute sulphuric acid to produce a very dilute copper II sulphate solution. The very dilute solution is brought into contact with a relatively small amount of an organic solvent containing something which will bind with copper II ions so that they are removed from the dilute solution. The solvent mustn't mix with the water. The copper II ions are removed again from the organic solvent by reaction with fresh sulphuric acid, producing a much more concentrated copper II sulphate solution than before.

Electrolysis of the new solution. Copper II ions are deposited as copper on the cathode for the electrode equation, see under the purification of copper below. The anodes for this process were traditionally lead-based alloys, but newer methods use titanium or stainless steel.

The cathode is either a strip of very pure copper which the new copper plates on to, or stainless steel which it has to be removed from later. When copper is made from sulphide ores by the first method above, it is impure. The blister copper is first treated to remove any remaining sulphur trapped as bubbles of sulphur dioxide in the copper - hence "blister copper" and then cast into anodes for refining using electrolysis.

The purification uses an electrolyte of copper II sulphate solution, impure copper anodes, and strips of high purity copper for the cathodes. For every copper ion that is deposited at the cathode, in principle another one goes into solution at the anode. The experiment should take about 20 minutes. Wear eye protection throughout. A metal crucible is best for this experiment as it is less likely to crack than a porcelain crucible.

The gauze should preferably be one without a ceramic center. Such centers tend to prevent the crucible from getting hot enough. A pipeclay triangle may be used if the metal crucible fits snugly into it; pipeclay or silica triangles are intended for use with porcelain crucibles, metal crucibles tend to be larger and fit the triangles badly. Procedure Part 1 Put one spatula measure of powdered malachite, copper II carbonate, into a crucible.

Show Fullscreen Source: Royal Society of Chemistry After heating the copper II oxide with charcoal, use water to separate the copper metal from the rest of the powder. Additional information This is a resource from the Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Level years years. Use Practical experiments. AQA Combined science: Synergy 4. Explain, using the position of carbon in the reactivity series, the principles of industrial processes used to extract metals, including extraction of a non-ferrous metal.