Copper Smelting

Copper smelting is the process of extracting pure copper from its ore. First, the ore is crushed and heated in a furnace to separate the copper from other minerals. This produces a molten mixture called slag and a material called matte, which contains mostly copper. The matte is then further refined by blowing air through it in a converter furnace, converting impure copper into blister copper with about 98% purity. Finally, this copper is refined through electrolytic processes to produce high-purity copper suitable for electrical wiring, plumbing, and other applications.