Copper Ore

What is Copper Ore?

Copper is a chemical element with symbol Cu. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure Copper is soft and malleable; a freshly exposed surface has a reddish-orange color. It is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys. Its compounds are commonly encountered as Copper salts, which often impart blue or green colors to minerals such as azurite and have been widely used historically as pigments. Architectural structures built with Copper corrode to give green verdigris (or patina). Decorative art prominently featuresCopper, both by itself and as part of pigments. These are the most common Copper Ores in nature:

• Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2, 34.5% Cu)
• Chalcocite (Cu2S, 79.8% Cu)
• Covellite (CuS, 66.5% Cu)
• Bornite (2Cu2S•CuS•FeS, 63.3% Cu)
• Malachite (CuCO3•Cu(OH)2, 57.3% Cu)
• Azurite (2CuCO3•Cu(OH)2, 55.1% Cu)
• Cuprite (Cu2O, 88.8% Cu)

Among mentioned items, Chalcopyrite and Chalcocite are very important. The largest source of Copper is from porphyry ore deposits in which one or a combination of the aforementioned minerals occurs. A typical Copper sulphide ore contains various levels of iron sulphide types that generally include pyrite (FeS2) and Chalcopyrite. Often gold and silver are present which may either be associated with the sulphides or are free. The gangue particles can consist of a range of silicate minerals from quartz to Talc and clays. Carbonate mineral gangue can also be present. Read more . . .

Copper Ore Usages:Copper is extracted from Copper ore in Copper processing factories. The usage of Copper can be significantly categorized as below:

• In Communication Sector: Copper products are being used for both long and short-range cables, wires, pipes and links. Copperis also widely used in making of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) for computers and electronic equipments.
• In Electricity & Energy Sector: Copper is a best conductor of electricity and heat. It can be easily transformed to alloy i.e. combined with another metal to make new alloys like bronze and brass. These alloys are stronger, harder, and resistant to corrosion as compared to pure Copper.
• In Plumbing and Heating: Copper tubes are the standard plumbing material for potable water and heating systems. It is a preferred material of professional plumbers and heating engineers. Read more . . .