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Opencast Mining
A method of mining that is used where the ore lies near the surface. Copper ore is extracted by stripping the soil layer.
Acid Leach
Dissolution of metal by processing the ore by means of acid solution.
Waste Rock
Rock that is mined while extracting the ore, but is of no economic value. This rock is often used as the filling material in underground mining, or is dumped as a waste material separately.
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Copper Dictionary
A
Acid Leach
Dissolution of metal by processing the ore by means of acid solution.
Alloy (Copper Alloys)
Materials made by mixing copper with other metals. Common examples include brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin).
Anode Copper
Thick slab made of raw copper, which is used in electrolytic refinement.
D
Drilling
Drilling operation that is performed to discover or confirm underground orebodies. Drilling results are an important part of the reserve determination process.
Drilling Core
A long piece of rock that is taken out by drilling and represents the orebody.
E
Electrolysis
A method that is used for the purification of copper. Copper ions are deposited from solution and gain mass by employing an electric current.
Electrostatic Separation
A method of separating different metallic minerals of the ore by differences in electrical load.
D
Drilling
Drilling operation that is performed to discover or confirm underground orebodies. Drilling results are an important part of the reserve determination process.
Drilling Core
A long piece of rock that is taken out by drilling and represents the orebody.
F
Filter Press
A machine that separates the liquid from the ore and filters the solid particles.
Flotation
A method of copper ore concentration. The ore is separated as foam by means of water and chemicals, and the valuable minerals are obtained.
Fines
Fine ore particles from milling and concentration.
G
Grade
Percentage of the valuable material in an ore or in a product of ore concentration. High-grade ores have higher metal content.
Groundwater Drainage
Operations to control the groundwater level and prevent the inundation of the galleries during the mining.
H
Hydrometallurgy
Includes the processes of recovering metals from aqueous solution. In copper mining, the separation of metal by leaching and solution is based on this method.
Hydrostatic Test
Method of testing mining equipment in water under pressure.
O
Ore Concentrate
Concentrated copper ore. Ore that is purified by processes like flotation becomes a product rich in copper at this stage.
Ore Concentration Plant
Plant where the extracted ore is concentrated by methods like flotation.
Orebody (Ore Deposit)
Mass of underground rock containing metal of economic value. Orebody is the main structure targeted by the mining projects.
Ore Dressing
Breaking, milling, and classification of the ore before concentration processes.
Ore-dressing Plant
Plants used for the concentration, purification, and processing of the ore.
Ore Grade/Tenor
Percentage of metal content in the ore. High-grade ores have higher metal content.
Ore Grinding
Process of reducing the ore to smaller particles. This allows liberation of the metallic content of the ore and separation of it from the minerals of no value.
Open-pit Mining
A method of mining that is used where the ore lies near the surface. Copper ore is extracted by stripping the soil layer.
P
Phosphate Rock
Rock rich in phosphor. Used for the production of fertilizers and chemical materials. In the mining sector, phosphate rock is an important source of raw material.
Process
All the processes from the mining of the copper ore until the final product.
Pyrite
Iron sulphide (FeS2) mineral frequently occurring with copper ores. It is called "fool’s gold" and must be separated during the concentration processes in mining.
Pyrite Concentrate
A material separated from the ore containing iron and sulphide. Although pyrite is usually an undesirable by-product in gold mining, it can be used for the production of sulphuric acid.
R
Recrystallization
Recrystallization of metals by heating. In copper production, it is especially used to increase the durability of the metal.
Reduction
Process of reducing copper-oxide ores to pure copper by means of chemical reactions. Usually includes processes requiring high temperatures.
Reducing Furnace
A high-temperature furnace in which the copper is melted and purified.
Reserve
Amount of metal lying underground that can be mined economically. Copper reserves are one of the main targets of the mining projects.
Reserve Determination
Calculation of the amount of ore that can be economically mined. Reserve determination is performed by drilling and analyses.
Reserve Recovery
Amount of mined ore of economic value.
U
Underground Mining
A system of mining involving block caving or pillar-and-room methods in ore deposits where opencast mining is not economical. In an underground mine, the application of the underground mining method and the selection of mining and cutting directions are of great importance.
Underground Mine Ventilation
Removal of gases and dust by providing airflow in underground mining.
W
Waste Rock
Rock that is mined while extracting the ore, but is of no economic value. This rock is often used as the filling material in underground mining, or is dumped as a waste material separately.
Z
Opencast Mining
A method of mining that is used where the ore lies near the surface. Copper ore is extracted by stripping the soil layer.
Acid Leach
Dissolution of metal by processing the ore by means of acid solution.
Waste Rock
Rock that is mined while extracting the ore, but is of no economic value. This rock is often used as the filling material in underground mining, or is dumped as a waste material separately.
C
Copper Alloys
Materials that are made by mixing the copper and the other metals together and as a result, have different physical properties. Brass (copper and zinc ) and bronze (copper and tin) are among the most common alloys.
Copper Anode
Thick slab made of raw copper, which is used in electrolytic refinement.
Copper Casting
Pouring molten copper into moulds to produce copper in various forms such as slabs, wires, bars, etc.
Copper Carbonate
Naturally occurring carbonate minerals of copper; found in minerals such as azurite, malachite, etc.
Copper Cathode
Electrolytically refined pure copper slabs of 99.99% purity. Cathode copper is the primary raw material of industrial copper products.
Copper Concentrate
Powder or sludge material rich in copper that is produced by concentrating the copper ore. Used for melting operations.
Copper Crystals
Naturally crystallised copper. Rare and considered valuable.
Copper Slab
Thin slabs made of purified copper. Final stage of cathode production.
Copper Nanowires
Copper wires with very thin diameter that are used in the fields of electronic and nanotechnology.
Copper Oxide
Copper ores containing oxide minerals. Requires different methods of processing, compared to sulphide ores.
Copper Sulphate
Chemical compound in blue that is produced from the sulphite minerals of copper. Copper sulphate is used in various industrial applications.
Copper Chips
Thin chips or metallic waste generated during the processing of copper.
Copper Fines
Thin milled form of copper used for industrial production.
Copper Percentage
Percentage of total copper present in the ore.
Copper Concentration
Processing of the ore to increase its copper content.
Core Analysis
Chemical tests to determine the copper and other metals contained in the ore.
Cathode Copper
Electrolytically refined thin copper slab. Cathode copper may be of 99.99% purity.
Cathode Scraping
Process of scraping pure copper deposited on the cathode during the electrolytic refining.
Cathode Production
Process of dissolving copper ions from anode and moving them to cathode and producing pure copper slabs during the electrolytic refining.
Carburisation
Process of increasing the carbon content of the copper and creating more robust and harder alloys. Usually used in the industrial production.
Crusher
A machine reducing large ores to smaller sizes.
Concentration Processes
Process of concentrating the ore by separating the valuable metals contained in the ore from the waste materials.
Concentration Chemicals
Chemicals that are used for ore concentration in flotation and leaching.
Concentration Plant
Plant where the extracted ore is concentrated by methods like flotation.
M
Matte
An intermediate product of melted copper sulphide during the copper production. Matte is converted into copper by later stages of purification.
Melting
Process of melting the copper ore at a high temperature and separating the metal from the other elements.
Melting Furnace
A furnace used for melting the copper ore at a high temperature.
Metal Ingot
A mass of metal obtained following the melting process. Copper ingots may be produced for various industrial uses.
Metal Recovery
Process of recovering metal from waste materials or used ores.
Metallic Copper
Naturally occurring rare pure copper. Usually occurs in the form of small crystal groups or plates.
Metallic Property
A term denoting the metal content of an ore and the degree of purity of this metal.
Metallurgy
The science of separating metals from ores and processing them. Copper metallurgy includes the mining and purification processes of copper.
Mine Water Treatment
Treatment of the water from mines both chemically and physically.
S
Screening
Process of separating the ore into different sizes.
Sedimentation
Settling of copper in solid state by separating it from the solution. Common in leaching processes.
Smelting
Process of purifying copper. Smelting increases the degree of purity and makes the copper ready for industrial use.
Solid-Liquid Separation
Process of separating solids from liquids during the ore concentration.
Solid Waste Dump Site
Site where the concentration tailings are dumped and the environmental impacts are minimized.
Stripping Ratio
In opencast mining, the amount of waste rock that must be removed to mine one ton of ore. Usually, smaller mining ratios point to more economic mining.
Sulphide Copper
Copper ore fused with sulphur, a nonmetal. Processed by flotation and smelting.
Sulphuric Acid
A strong acid; chemical formula, H₂SO₄. In copper mining, it is used for dissolving copper from the ore, especially in leaching processes.
Sulphuric Acid Plant
A plant where sulphuric acid produced during mining is treated. In copper mining, it is commonly used especially in leaching processes.
V
Vein Ore
A mass of copper minerals occupying fissures in the Earth’s crust. These vein-shaped ores may be important reserves in mining.
Z
Zone:
A term denoting a certain part of rock layers containing ore.
P
Opencast Mining
A method of mining that is used where the ore lies near the surface. Copper ore is extracted by stripping the soil layer.
Acid Leach
Dissolution of metal by processing the ore by means of acid solution.
Waste Rock
Rock that is mined while extracting the ore, but is of no economic value. This rock is often used as the filling material in underground mining, or is dumped as a waste material separately.
S
Opencast Mining
A method of mining that is used where the ore lies near the surface. Copper ore is extracted by stripping the soil layer.
Acid Leach
Dissolution of metal by processing the ore by means of acid solution.
Waste Rock
Rock that is mined while extracting the ore, but is of no economic value. This rock is often used as the filling material in underground mining, or is dumped as a waste material separately.
Y
Opencast Mining
A method of mining that is used where the ore lies near the surface. Copper ore is extracted by stripping the soil layer.
Acid Leach
Dissolution of metal by processing the ore by means of acid solution.
Waste Rock
Rock that is mined while extracting the ore, but is of no economic value. This rock is often used as the filling material in underground mining, or is dumped as a waste material separately.
