Chemical Composition Data of the Main Stages of Copper Production from Sulfide Minerals in Chile: A Review to Assist Circular Economy Studies

Abstract

The mining industry has faced significant challenges to maintaining copper production technically, economically, and environmentally viable. Some of the major limitations that must be overcome in the coming years are the copper ore grade decline due to its intense exploitation, the increasing requirements for environmental protection, and the need to expand and construct new tailings dams. Furthermore, the risk of a supply crisis of critical metals, such as antimony and bismuth, has prompted efforts to increase their extraction from secondary resources in copper production. Therefore, improving conventional processes and developing new technologies is crucial to satisfying the world’s metal demands, while respecting the policies of environmental organizations. Hence, it is essential that the chemical composition of each copper production stage is known for conducting these studies, which may be challenging due to the huge variability of concentration data concerning the ore extraction region, the process type, and the operational conditions. This paper presents a review of chemical composition data of the main stages of copper production from sulfide minerals, such as (1) copper minerals, (2) flotation tailings, (3) flotation concentrates, (4) slags and (5) flue dust from the smelting/converting stage, (6) copper anodes, (7) anode slimes, (8) contaminated electrolytes from the electrorefining stage, (9) electrolytes cleaned by ion-exchange resins, and (10) elution solutions from the resins. In addition, the main contributions of recent works on copper production are summarized herein. This study is focused on production sites from Chile since it is responsible for almost one-third of the world’s copper production.

Socio-Environmental Risks Linked with Mine Tailings Chemical Composition: Promoting Responsible and Safe Mine Tailings Management Considering Copper and Gold Mining Experiences from Chile and Peru

“…The main chemical reagents used in the metallurgical flotation process of copper sulphide minerals and present in copper mining tailings are presented below [ 2 , 47 ]. The following types of reagents are disclosed: (i) acids, (ii) alkalis or pH regulators, (iii) modifiers, (iv) collectors, (v) foaming agents, and (vi) flocculants ( Table 1 ).…”

Polyethylenimine–Silica–Magnetic Nanoparticle Composites for Efficient Extraction of Dissolved Copper from Aqueous Solutions and Multiphase Mixtures

“…Copper is one of the most critical metals to human innovation, essential for technological progress and the functioning of electronic appliances that we use every day. − Although copper is not considered as a rare element in the earth’s crust, , mining and production of this metal require complex and challenging processing . Conventional extraction processes from the majority of copper-fertile ores is undertaken via comminution/grinding, concentration (commonly by several cycles of flotation), followed by smelting and/or leaching and electrofining. , Thus, copper processing involves high temperatures, acidification, and use of aggressive chemicals, such as surfactants, flocculants, lixiviants, and adsorbents. The majority of chemicals involved cannot be recycled, primarily because their retrieval is hampered by the complex, multiphase nature of the mixtures treated in copper processing.…”

“…6 Conventional extraction processes from the majority of copper-fertile ores is undertaken via comminution/grinding, concentration (commonly by several cycles of flotation), followed by smelting and/or leaching and electrofining. 3,7 Thus, copper processing involves high temperatures, acidification, and use of aggressive chemicals, such as surfactants, flocculants, lixiviants, and adsorbents. The majority of chemicals involved cannot be recycled, primarily because their retrieval is hampered by the complex, multiphase nature of the mixtures treated in copper processing.…”

An Overview of the Behavior of Concentrates with Arsenic, Antimony, and Bismuth under Roasting Conditions

“…The chemical composition of copper concentrates in Chile varies depending on the region where it is obtained. As an example, Table 1 shows a comparison of typical compositions of concentrates from Chuquicamata [2] and of copper sulfide minerals in Northern Chile [3]. The former represented about 5% of the total Chilean copper production in 2022 [2].…”

“…Here, emphasis is made on the compositions of copper, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth in the several products and effluents obtained during the stages of roasting, smelting, converting, anode casting, and electrowinning. The information shown in Figure 1 is based on plant data collected at the Chuquicamata mine by Barros et al [3]. It shows that the contents of arsenic, antimony, and bismuth in such streams are significant and, thus, deserve further analysis.…”