Should We Recommend Building a Copper Mine?

     Module written by Mary Walczak, Linda Zarzana, Doug Williams, and Paul Charlesworth

    Session 1: What is the Role of a Copper Mine Consultant?

      Copper mine process flowsheet
       http://www.mine-engineer.com/mining/copperm.htm
       http://www.mine-engineer.com/mining/small_copper.htm
      Copper from mine to market
       http://www.azcu.org/minetomarket/
      Technology of copper mining
       http://64.90.169.191/innovations/1998/11/astm.html
      Copper solvent extraction
       http://www.mining-technology.com/contractors/chemicals/avecia/
      How do they make copper?
       http://64.90.169.191/innovations/how/howdo3.htm

    Session 2: How Much is the Land Worth?
    Redox Reactions and Ore Composition Analysis

      Exploration 2A: What Minerals Would You Expect To Find?
      Exploration 2B: How Much Total and Oxidized Cu is Present in the Ore?
      Exploration 2C: Is there any Pb, Ag, Fe or Zn in the Ore?
      Exploration 2D: What is the Price of Copper?
      Exploration 2E: What is the Cost of Extraction?
       Business news and data (http://marketdata.copper.org/) (http://www.coppernews.com/)

    Session 3: How Is Ore Processed?
    Thermodynamics and Spontaneity

      Exploration 3A: How is Copper Extracted from Sulfidic Ores?
      Exploration 3B: How is Copper Extracted from Oxidic Ores?
      Exploration 3C: Are there any Alternatives?
      Exploration 3D: Which Process is Most Compatible with the Ore?
      Exploration 3E: How Much Acid is Consumed by the Ore?

    Session 4: How Is the Extracted Copper Purified?
    Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning

      Exploration 4A: How is Aqueous Copper Separated From the Other Metals in Solution?
      Exploration 4B: How is Aqueous Copper Purified and Concentrated?
      Exploration 4C: How is Metallic Copper Obtained?
      Exploration 4D: How is nylon made?
      Exploration 4E: How are polyesters formed?

    Session 5: What is the Final Recommendation?
    Culminating Event

    Appendices

      Appendix A: Analytical Methods for the Laboratory
      Appendix B: Thermodynamic Data
      Appendix C: Solubility Product Data
      Appendix D: Costs of Extraction
      Appendix E: WMC Report Excerpts
      Appendix F: Solvent Extraction: A Viable Method for Selectively Extracting Metals from Solutions


    Copyright © 2004 by the trustees of Beloit College and the Regents of the University of California. This Module has been developed under the direction of the ChemLinks Coalition, headed by Beloit College, and the ModularChem Consortium, headed by the University of California at Berkeley. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation grants No. DUE-9455918 and DUE-9455924. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, Beloit College, or the Regents of the University of California.

    Published through exclusive license with W. W. Norton.
    Should We Build a Copper Mine? ISBN 0-393-92440-8


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