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Chalcopyrite Synthesis Lab Report

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The process of extraction of copper varies depending of what ore, copper is being extracted from. Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is a sulphide ore and it is one the most common ores of copper. The process of extracting copper from chalcopyrite is a quite complex procedure in which both physical and chemical processes are involved.
As chalcopyrite is around 0.5% copper and 99.5% “unwanted rocky material”, the first step to extract copper from chalcopyrite is to increase the concentration of copper in the ore to high enough levels by getting rid of as much of the ‘unwanted rocky material’. This can be done by a physical process called ‘froth flotation’.
The process of ‘froth flotation’ is quite simple and requires little energy. The process is as follows:
1. The ore is …show more content…

A substance is added to the crushed ore. This substance attaches only to the metal compound particles and gives them a hydrophobic (water repellent) property. For copper, this substance is often pine oil.
3. The ore is then put into a large bath containing water and a foaming agent. Air is blown inside to make bubbles.
4. Because the compound’s particles are hydrophobic, the bubbles will be able to catch them and bring them afloat where they can flow out from the bath while the unwanted rocky material stays in the bath.
5. The ore now contains around 30% copper and it is ready to be smelted. This ore is called “concentrated ore”
Once the ore has been concentrated it is put inside a furnace where it is mixed with sand and oxygen. The temperature inside the furnace is risen up to around 1000oC and oxygen is blown inside. Due to the intense heat inside the furnace, the following things happen:
 The copper(II) ions in the chalcopyrite are reduced to copper(I) sulphide
 The iron in the chalcopyrite reacts with the sand and it is converted into an iron (II) silicate slag which floats on the copper (I) sulphide and is discarded.
 Most of the sulphur in the chalcopyrite is converted into sulphur dioxide

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