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Copper is a highly versatile metal that’s prized for its conductivity; malleability and ductility; and ability to form alloys with other metals. But copper can’t be produced from raw rock; instead, mined copper ore must go through a series of physical and chemical processing steps to become market-ready copper concentrate powder.
The first step in copper refining, and the one that takes place at mine locations to cut transportation costs, involves grinding up the copper-rich rocks that have been extracted from the ground. From there, the concentrated copper must undergo additional processing to separate it from impurities.
This process, known as pyrometallurgy, involves heating the concentrated copper to cause it to segregate into layers of material: a slag layer on top that contains the impurities and a matte layer below that contains the copper. This method can be used to refine copper ore that’s rich in sulfides or oxides.
In a typical smelter, the copper concentrate is mixed with other elements (including zinc and iron) to make an electrolytic solution that can be plated onto copper cathodes. The cathodes are then smelted to produce refined copper metal. This process can be done in two ways: via smelting, where copper is melted and poured into a cast to form rods; or through electrowinning, which plates copper from the solution onto a metal surface (such as a steel casting) to produce copper wire and other products.
Copper concentrate producers sell their product — typically a powder that’s between 24 and 40 percent copper — to smelters and refiners. These businesses are often located at a different location than mining companies, and they pay miners a price based on the copper content in their concentrate, minus treatment charges (TCs) and refining charges (RCs).