Classification of Copper Sulfide Minerals

Among non-ferrous metal mines, copper ore is a resource with high development value. In nature, there are many copper-containing minerals, but only a dozen have industrial application value. Copper ore is often accompanied by useful elements such as gold, silver, molybdenum, cobalt, nickel sulfur, etc., which need to be considered for comprehensive recovery.

According to the production conditions and chemical composition of copper minerals, it can be divided into: primary copper sulfide minerals, such as chalcopyrite; secondary copper sulfide minerals, such as chalcocite, copper blue; copper oxide minerals, such as malachite, Copper ore etc. Gangue minerals vary with the type of deposit, mainly quartz, calcite, feldspar, dolomite, sericite, chlorite and so on.

According to different useful ingredients, copper sulfide ore can be divided into the following categories:

 (1) Single copper ore: This kind of ore is relatively simple, and the only valuable component that can be recovered is copper. Gangues are mainly quartz, silicates and carbonates.

 (2) Copper-sulfur ore: In addition to copper minerals, this ore has a high content of iron sulfide, which can also be recovered as useful minerals. The main mineral of sulfur is pyrite, and this ore is called copper-bearing pyrite.

 (3) Copper pyrite: In addition to copper minerals and pyrite that can be recycled, there is also magnetite that is worth recycling.

 (4) Copper, gold and silver mines: Copper ores are often associated with gold and silver and other minerals, and copper ores are the main carrier minerals of gold and silver.

 (5) Copper-molybdenum ore: The useful components of this ore contain molybdenite in addition to copper minerals. In addition to copper and molybdenum, some ores also have magnetite and pyrite that can be recovered.

 (6) Copper-nickel ore: In addition to copper minerals, there are also nickel-containing minerals, such as nickel sulfide ore, nickel-containing pyrite, pyrrhotite, etc.

(7) Copper-cobalt ore: In addition to copper minerals, its useful components also include cobalt-containing pyrite. The latter is selected as cobalt concentrate.