Copper Metallurgy Overview

Metalcess offers comprehensive solution for your copper metallurgy project, varying from copper ore, copper scrap, WEEE, copper slag/dross or leaching residue, etc. From process design, detail engineering and equipment supply of the production line, Metalcess provides not only customer-tailed technology but also responsive service. Metalcess makes it possible for our customer to have different final products like copper cathode and copper sulphate, as well as such byproducts as sulfuric acid, precious metal.

Copper metallurgy solution variations are shown in the following table.



Table 1- Copper Hydrometallurgy

Tank Leaching

Cyclone EW

Copper Cathode

Black Copper

Heap Leaching

PLS, Solvent Extraction and Stripping

Common EW

Copper Cathode

Bio-Leaching

Pressure Leaching

Crystallization

Copper Sulphate

Leaching

SX

EW

Product



Table 2- Copper Pyrometallurgy

ØBottom Blowing Furnace Smelting

ØBottom Blowing Furnace Converting

ØReverberatory Furnace

ØSide Blowing Furnace Smelting 

ØSide Blowing Furnace Converting

ØAnode Furnace

ØElectro- Refining

Copper Cathode

ØSintered concentrate + Blast Furnace Smelting 

ØP-S Converter

Smelting

Converting

Refining

ER

Product



Table 3- Copper Scrap Recycling

Group

Copper Scrap

Smelting and Processing Process

Product

A

Barley and Berry

Shaft furnace smelting + heat holding furnace + continuous casting + continuous rolling

High conductivity copper rod; copper plate and copper foil

B

Brass Scrap

Induction furnace melting and component adjusting + casting

Brass

C

Low grade copper scrap

Blast furnace smelting + P-S converter + anode casting + electro-refining

Copper cathode

D

Group B+C+ unclassified copper scrap/WEEE/ Black copper  

Top Blown Rotary Converter (TBRC) + anode casting + electro-refining

By-process: Tin slag reduction and refining

Dore Alloy; High purity lead; Copper cathode; High purity tin



Table 4- Copper Anode Slime Treatment

ØNoble lead furnace reduction smelting + Dore furnace oxidation refining to separate silver

ØSilver electro-refining + Gold electro-refining + Platinum group metal extraction + Crude selenium refining + Tellurium extraction

Selenium ingot;

Lead ingot;

Lead sulphate; Silver ingot;

Gold ingot;

Platinum-group metals;

Tellurium

ØRoasting with sulfuric acid and de-selenium + Acid leaching and de-coppering 

ØTBRC smelting and Refining + Lead vacuum distillation separation

ØSilver electro-refining+ Gold electro-refining + lead Fire-refining 

ØSeparation of silver, lead and gold by acid leaching

ØSilver electro-refining + Glod electro-refining

Pre-treatment

Reduction and Refining

Dore Alloy Separation

Product



Given with several alternatives mentioned-above, Metalcess will, together with the customer, select the optimal process flow based on actual situation of raw material from a technical and economic point of view. 



Related Process
Copper Ore, Copper Scrap, WEEE, Slag/Dross
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