Getting Metals from Rocks Flashcards
How else can you extract copper?
From a solution using displacement reaction.
What do more reactive metals do?
React more vigorously than less reactive metals.
What will happen if you put a reactive metal into a solution of a dissolved metal compound?
The reactive metal will replace the less reactive metal in the compound.
Why does the more reactive metal replace the less reactive metal in the compound?
Because the more reactive metal bonds more strongly to the non-metal bit of the compound and pushes out the less reactive metal.
EG scarp iron can be used to displace what?
Copper from solution.
Useful because iron is cheap but copper is expensive.
What happens if iron is put into a solution of copper sulphate?
The more reactive metal will ‘kick out’ the less reactive copper from the solution.
Copper sulphate + iron ——>
Iron sulphate + copper.
What happens if a piece of silver metal is put into the solution of copper sulphate?
Nothing happens.
The more reactive metal copper is already in the solution.
Copper-rich ares are in what?
Short supply.
Important we recycle.
The demand for copper is what?
Growing.
May lead to shortages in the future.
What are scientists looking in to new ways of doing?
Extracting copper from low-grade ores or from waste that is currently produced when copper is extracted.
What are low-grade ores?
Ores that only contain small amounts of copper.
Name the 2 new methods to extract copper.
Bioleaching.
Phytomining.
What does bioleaching use?
Bacteria to separate copper from copper sulfide.
In bioleaching where does the bacteria get its energy from?
The bond between copper and sulfur.
Separating out the copper from the ore in the process.
