Extraction of metals

In the production of most metals, four distinct steps are needed to convert ore to refined metal.
These steps are: mining, milling, smelting and refining. The total process is called metallurgy.
Extraction of copper from its ore
Australia is one of the worlds major copper producers. Copper is
extracted principally from sulfide ores, in particular chalcopyrite
(CuFe
2
).
Milling is the process of concentrating of purification of the ore
through physical separation processes to separate the mineral
from the rock, clay and sand, collectively referred to as gangue.
Copper is then concentrated using a method called froth
flotation. In this process, air is bubbled through a suspension of
the pulverised ore in water containing a flotation or frothing
agent. The desired copper particles adhere to the rising bubbles
and are skimmed off as froth, leaving the unwanted silicate
minerals to settle out.
The concentrated ore, which is now about 15% copper, is then
roasted in air which converts the iron sulfide to iron (II) oxide but
leaves the copper (II) sulfide unaffected:
2CuFeS
2(s)
+ 3O
2(g)
2CuS
(s)
+ 2FeO
(s)
+ 2SO
2(g)

The result is then heated to 1100C with ground limestone, sand and additional concentrated ore.
This coverts the iron (II) oxide to a molten slag, and converts the copper (II) sulfide to copper (I) sulfide:
FeO
(s)
+ SiO
2(s)
FeSiO
3 (l)
The final smelting process, the copper (I) sulfide is roasted in air so that part of it is converted to copper (I) oxide.
2Cu
2
S
(s)
+ 3O
2 (g)
2Cu
2
O
(s)
+ 2SO
2 (g)

The copper (II) sulfide and copper (I) oxide then react together to form copper metal and sulfur dioxide:
2Cu
2
O
(s)
+ CuS
(s)
5Cu
(l)
+ SO
2 (g)

This process requires a significant input of energy to maintain the temperatures required for this reaction. The
smelting process produces crude copper of about 98% purity. It is called blister copper because of the bubbly
appearance produced by escaping sulfur dioxide. To obtain the 99.9% purity of copper required for electrical wiring,
the blister copper is refined electrolytically, i.e. using electrolysis.
Extraction of aluminium
Vast amounts of energy are required to isolate pure aluminium oxide, alumina from bauxite and then aluminium from
alumina. After mining bauxite must be separated from its impurities and converted into aluminium oxide (alumina).
This process involves several steps. The bauxite is first heated in hydroxide solution (sodium hydroxide) under
pressure:
Al(OH)
3 (s)
+ OH

(aq)
[Al(OH)
4
]

(aq)

P a g e | 2

Aluminium oxide is soluble in sodium hydroxide, whereas the impurities are not. So as a result, most of the impurities
settle out as an insoluble red mud, which is pumped to disposal ponds. The highly concentrated hot solution of
sodium aluminate is then filtered, cooled and seeded with crystals of pure aluminium hydroxide. The precipitation
reaction that occurs is the reverse process of the solution process:
[Al(OH)
4
]

(aq)
Al(OH)
3 (aq)
+ OH

(aq)

The aluminium hydroxide is then filtered off and decomposed by heating to produce aluminium oxide:
2Al(OH)
3 (s)
Al
2
O
3

(s)
+ 3H
2
O
(g)

The next stage is the electrolysis of molten Al
2
O
3.
However the high melting point of Al
2
O
3
at 2045C makes it
prohibitively expensive but is reduced by a mixture containing approximately 80% cryolite which allows a molten
phase to be maintained at 950C to 1000C. The mixture is electrolysed using a graphite anode (positive) and an iron
tank cathode (negative).
The overall equation for the electrolysis is as follows;
2Al
2
O
3 (l)
+ 3C
(s)
4Al
(l)
+ 3CO
2 (g)

The molten aluminium is periodically removed from the cell and cast into ingots. Huge electrical currents are needed
to convert the aluminium oxide to the aluminium and to keep the electrolyte molten. This makes the extraction
process expensive.
Recycling of metals
Mineral resources are non-renewable and are limited in quantity. Mineral resources are being extended in several
ways:
New ore bodies are being discovered
Improving technology is increasing our ability to access some ores.
Our ability to extract metals from lower-grade ores is improving.
An increasing important option in extending our metal resources, and reducing energy use, is to recycle metals from
objects that no longer serve the original purpose. Many metals, particularly iron, steel, copper, and aluminium are
recycled. Once the metal has been sorted and treated, it is ready to be re-melted and re-formed. As the cost of metals
continue to increase due to decreasing supplies and increasing demand, the cost-effectiveness of recycling will also
rise.
Aluminium recycling
The recycling of aluminium from drink cans, car engines and body trim, boats and appliances is well established in
Australia and many other countries. More than 60% of the aluminium cans produced in Australia are recycled.
The recycling of aluminium is very cost-effective compared to extracting the metal from bauxite.
The refining of bauxite to produce alumina (Al
2
O
3
) uses about 15000 MJ of energy per tonne of alumina produced.
Smelting this alumina requires an additional 50000 MJ per tonne. Thus the total energy for producing is 65000 MJ per
tonne. Melting recycling aluminium requires less than 5% of the energy needed to produce the same amount of
aluminium from its ore. Recycling not only conserves our reserves of aluminium ore but also greatly reduces the
amount of electricity needed to produce aluminium.