C14.4 Extracting metals from ores Flashcards
What are the 2 process to obtain the copper metal from?
➢ Using sulfuric acid to produce copper sulfate solution before extracting the copper metal
➢ Smelting copper ore can lead to it being heated to a high temperature in a furnace with air to produce impure copper
How can the impure copper be made pure?
➢ We can use the impure copper as the positive electrode in electrolysis to make pure copper
How can copper be extracted from malachite?
➢ Malachite is a copper ore containing copper
➢ You can heat the copper carbonate in a boiling tube
➢ Thermal decomposition takes place produce copper oxide
What happens after thermal decomposition takes place?
➢ Add dilute sulfuric acid to the copper oxide and shake the tube
➢ This makes the copper sulfate solution
➢ Filter any excess black copper oxide in the solution
How can you extract the copper metal?
➢ Put an iron nail into the copper sulfate solution - which will lead to pure copper forming on the iron nail
➢ Put it into a beaker and use electrolysis to extract the pure carbon
How can copper be extracted from low-grade copper ores?
➢ Using Phytomining
➢ Using bioleaching
What is phytomining?
➢ Plants that can absorb copper ions are grown on soil containing low grade copper ore
➢ Plants are then burnt and copper is extracted from copper compounds in the ash
➢ Copper ions can be dissolved from the ash by adding sulfuric acid
➢ This makes a solution (leachate) of copper sulfate
➢ Displacement by scrap iron or electrolysis make pure copper metal
What is bioleaching?
➢ Bacteria feed on low-grade metal ores
➢ A solution of copper ions can be obtained from waste copper ore through the combination of biological and chemical processes
➢ Then scrap iron and electrolysis is used to extract the cooper from the leachate
What are the cons of bioleaching?
➢ It is a slow processes
