C14.4 Extracting metals from ores

➢ Using sulfuric acid to produce copper sulfate solution before extracting the copper metal ➢ Smelting copper ore can lead to it being heated to a high temperature in a furnace with air to produce impure copper

➢ We can use the impure copper as the positive electrode in electrolysis to make pure copper

➢ Malachite is a copper ore containing copper ➢ You can heat the copper carbonate in a boiling tube ➢ Thermal decomposition takes place produce copper oxide

➢ Add dilute sulfuric acid to the copper oxide and shake the tube ➢ This makes the copper sulfate solution ➢ Filter any excess black copper oxide in the solution

➢ Put an iron nail into the copper sulfate solution - which will lead to pure copper forming on the iron nail ➢ Put it into a beaker and use electrolysis to extract the pure carbon

➢ Using Phytomining ➢ Using bioleaching

➢ Plants that can absorb copper ions are grown on soil containing low grade copper ore ➢ Plants are then burnt and copper is extracted from copper compounds in the ash ➢ Copper ions can be dissolved from the ash by adding sulfuric acid ➢ This makes a solution (leachate) of copper sulfate ➢ Displacement by scrap iron or electrolysis make pure copper metal

➢ Bacteria feed on low-grade metal ores ➢ A solution of copper ions can be obtained from waste copper ore through the combination of biological and chemical processes ➢ Then scrap iron and electrolysis is used to extract the cooper from the leachate

➢ It is a slow processes