Copper
James.Tran
What is electrolysis?
Electrolysis is a very strong process that can even extract
any metal from its ore. This process uses mass amount of electricity and may
cost a lot if it is used for commercial reasons as it is on a big scale which
results in more electricity needed. Electrolysis is used in commercial uses if
there is no cheaper process as commercial businesses try to make as much profit
as possible. The electricity that is used in electrolysis is only direct
current (DC). This method has the ability to separate ores and collect many
metals including: Potassium, Magnesium, Aluminium, Copper and many other
metals.
The electrodes are connected to opposite poles of a battery.
The electrode connected to the positive pole is called the anode and the
electrode connected to the negative pole is the cathode. A voltage is then
applied to a molten sample or solution of an ore, through the electrodes. When
positive ions move to the negative electrode, the ions are forced to take back
its outer-shell electrons to form metal atoms that then plate the electrode.
Positive ions move to the negative electrode while negative ions move to the
positive electrode.
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-is-electrolysis
What is copper?
Facts about copper:
Copper is the second
best electrical conductor found as it has 1.68×10−8 Newton meters of
resistivity at 20°C, the only metal that conducts electricity better then
copper is silver at 1.59×10−8 Newton meters of resistivity at 20°C. Although
silver is more conductive copper is used more to conduct electricity as it is
more abundant and almost has the same conductivity as silver. Copper is a weak
metal so it would not be optimal for structural uses. Copper may not be as
strong as other metals but it is not easy to break due to its high toughness.
This is good for water pipes as leakages would be lessened as the copper will
no crack or piece under the water pressure. Copper is a malleable material
making it good for cabling as it wound crack when bent. Copper is very ductile
which also gives traits of making wiring as it is able to be thinned out very
well so wires don’t need to be thick to be effective.
http://chemistry.about.com/od/moleculescompounds/a/Table-Of-Electrical-Resistivity-And-Conductivity.htm
http://metals.about.com/od/metalproperties/a/Material_Profile_-_Copper.htm
Why extract copper through electrolysis?
Copper is not found in a usable form, it is naturally found
in very small amounts inside ores. The ore that wield the copper is called Chalcopyrite (Copper iron sulfide, CuFeS₂). The process that needs to take
place before the copper goes through electrolysis is its ore needs to be mined
out of the ground. The ore that is picked up at the mine is less than 0.5%
copper. The refining process is determined if the ore is sulfide based or oxide based. The process I am investigating will be oxide ore as this is
the ore that copper is removed from using electrolysis and the sulfide based
ore will go through more difficult step before it is smelted. The oxide
ore needs to be processed using the electrolysis method because it is very
simple and 99.99% copper slabs is much easier and faster to make then crushing
and smelting the ore. I also believe that commercial businesses also use
electrolysis to extract the copper from the oxide ore because it must be
the most efficient method of refining copper as the CEO’s of mining companies need
to pick the fastest and easiest methods for the optimum result so they may receive
the most profit possible.
The reactivity series is a guideline to what metal is more
reactive then the other and also determines method of extraction and refining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89r8fIR34Gc
How does the process of refining the copper work?
Firstly, the miners need to determine what type of ore it is
because if it is oxide based then electrolysis is the best option, if it
is sulfide based then smelting is the better option.
Secondly, if the ore (Chalcopyrite) is oxide based then electrolysis is
the better option, the ore is mined from the ground and brought to leaching
areas. At the leaching areas they are irrigate the rocks with dilute sulfuric acid.
Thirdly, over months the solution created drains into a pond
and the solution is sent to a plant for processing,
Next, the copper solution is mixed with an organic solution
that results in the copper floating to the top and then an acidic solution is
added that increases the concentration of the copper and makes it electrically
conductive.
After,
they are put in to tanks where the electrolysis starts to occur.
Finally,
they are then molded into cast to be cut up for other manufactures to use.
They can also make rods out of the molten copper but cooling It down with water
while putting it through various roller to make it circular and creating
a thin coil to be sold to manufacturers for future thinning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89r8fIR34Gc
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/extraction/copper.html
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/336electrorefine.html
Where is copper mined?
Olympic Dam In South Australian (SA)
Mount Isa in Queensland(QLD)
Tritton in New South Wales(NSW)
Usages of copper
Electrical cables
Water Piping
Pots and Pans
Engines
Car radiators
Coins/pennies
Jewllery
The estimated year that copper will deplete is 2043 according to the "Mining Australia" website. If the natural reserves run out we will need to start to recycle all of the copper that is not being actively used so it can be remelted to produce other copper materials. Another alternative to copper wiring is silver or gold wiring but this is unlikely as these metals are very expensive. Another alternative for copper tubing is high strength PVC tubing that will be able to hold the pressure and withstand the head from the water.
http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/aimr/commodity/copper.html#copper
If the YouTube links don't work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdyKHAU7Vjk&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7OCV7xJThY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzZOngroRY0
What is copper?
Facts about copper:
http://chemistry.about.com/od/moleculescompounds/a/Table-Of-Electrical-Resistivity-And-Conductivity.htm
http://metals.about.com/od/metalproperties/a/Material_Profile_-_Copper.htm
Why extract copper through electrolysis?
Copper is not found in a usable form, it is naturally found
in very small amounts inside ores. The ore that wield the copper is called Chalcopyrite (Copper iron sulfide, CuFeS₂). The process that needs to take
place before the copper goes through electrolysis is its ore needs to be mined
out of the ground. The ore that is picked up at the mine is less than 0.5%
copper. The refining process is determined if the ore is sulfide based or oxide based. The process I am investigating will be oxide ore as this is
the ore that copper is removed from using electrolysis and the sulfide based
ore will go through more difficult step before it is smelted. The oxide
ore needs to be processed using the electrolysis method because it is very
simple and 99.99% copper slabs is much easier and faster to make then crushing
and smelting the ore. I also believe that commercial businesses also use
electrolysis to extract the copper from the oxide ore because it must be
the most efficient method of refining copper as the CEO’s of mining companies need
to pick the fastest and easiest methods for the optimum result so they may receive
the most profit possible. 
The reactivity series is a guideline to what metal is more reactive then the other and also determines method of extraction and refining.
-Gold-silver is found naturally
-Copper is roasted in air
-Lead - zinc heated with carbon or carbon monoxide
-Aluminium - potassium is extracted using electrolysis.
Although copper is mainly extracted though smelting they're are still 2 types of copper ore, one extracted using
electrolysis and the other is extracted using smelting. The copper is taken
from oxide based ores is the ore that needs electrolysis to be most
efficient and most effective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89r8fIR34Gc
How does the process of refining the copper work?
Olympic Dam In South Australian (SA)
Mount Isa in Queensland(QLD)
Tritton in New South Wales(NSW)
Water Piping
Pots and Pans
Engines
Car radiators
Coins/pennies
Jewllery
The estimated year that copper will deplete is 2043 according to the "Mining Australia" website. If the natural reserves run out we will need to start to recycle all of the copper that is not being actively used so it can be remelted to produce other copper materials. Another alternative to copper wiring is silver or gold wiring but this is unlikely as these metals are very expensive. Another alternative for copper tubing is high strength PVC tubing that will be able to hold the pressure and withstand the head from the water.
http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/aimr/commodity/copper.html#copper
How does the process of refining the copper work?
Firstly, the miners need to determine what type of ore it is
because if it is oxide based then electrolysis is the best option, if it
is sulfide based then smelting is the better option.
Secondly, if the ore (Chalcopyrite) is oxide based then electrolysis is
the better option, the ore is mined from the ground and brought to leaching
areas. At the leaching areas they are irrigate the rocks with dilute sulfuric acid.
Thirdly, over months the solution created drains into a pond
and the solution is sent to a plant for processing,
Next, the copper solution is mixed with an organic solution
that results in the copper floating to the top and then an acidic solution is
added that increases the concentration of the copper and makes it electrically
conductive.
After,
they are put in to tanks where the electrolysis starts to occur.
-Starter
sheets are thin pieces of pure copper that are called the cathodes and are
places into the tanks
-They
then put an electrical current through the tank and the copper migrates to the
cathodes
-After
the cathodes are taken out, various amounts of almost pure copper (99.99%) emerges.
Finally,
they are then molded into cast to be cut up for other manufactures to use.
They can also make rods out of the molten copper but cooling It down with water
while putting it through various roller to make it circular and creating
a thin coil to be sold to manufacturers for future thinning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89r8fIR34Gc
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/extraction/copper.html
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/336electrorefine.html
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/extraction/copper.html
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/336electrorefine.html
Where is copper mined?
Olympic Dam In South Australian (SA)
Mount Isa in Queensland(QLD)
Tritton in New South Wales(NSW)
Usages of copper
Electrical cablesWater Piping
Pots and Pans
Engines
Car radiators
Coins/pennies
Jewllery
The estimated year that copper will deplete is 2043 according to the "Mining Australia" website. If the natural reserves run out we will need to start to recycle all of the copper that is not being actively used so it can be remelted to produce other copper materials. Another alternative to copper wiring is silver or gold wiring but this is unlikely as these metals are very expensive. Another alternative for copper tubing is high strength PVC tubing that will be able to hold the pressure and withstand the head from the water.
http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/aimr/commodity/copper.html#copper
If the YouTube links don't work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdyKHAU7Vjk&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7OCV7xJThY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzZOngroRY0
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