The production of copper, sulfuric acid and precious metals, among others, is the result of an enhancement process. It starts with copper concentrate, which goes through various processes that separate all the elements it contains in order to obtain different products: anodes, cathodes and electrolytic slimes. This process, which reaches high temperatures, takes advantage of the heat generated during the smelting for energy.
Production Process
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1. Mining operations
2. Sea transport
The copper concentrate is mainly received by boat at the Port of Huelva from mines around the world. In addition, sulfuric acid production is also exported by sea.
3. Land transport
Once the ore concentrate is unloaded at our facilities, it is transported to the Huelva metallurgical complex by truck.
4. Concentrated storage
At the metallurgical complex, the concentrate is analyzed to determine its moisture content and composition. Then it is unloaded and classified, duly separated by origin, in the covered warehouses.
5. Mixture
After analysis and classification, the mixture is formed by combining specific quantities of these concentrates, in order to obtain one with a homogeneous composition. Then, sand (silica) is added to facilitate its melting.
6. Drying
The mixture has an approximate moisture content of 8%, which must be reduced in dryers until reaching 0.2% before being melted down.
7. Melting in the flash furnace
Once the proper moisture percentage has been reached, the mixture is melted in the flash oven. The separation and oxidation of the various components present in the concentrate take place during this process, where temperatures of around 1,200ºC are reached. The result yields two molten materials with different densities: matte copper and slag.
8. Converters
Matte conversion is the process through which copper is separated from the traces of sulfur, iron and other metals that were not eliminated during the smelting.
This process releases a large amount of energy and also permits the addition of secondary materials such as recycled copper.
9. Anode furnaces
To increase the purity of this copper, known as blister copper, it is introduced into an anode furnace to remove the traces of oxygen (0.5%) and sulfur (0.02%).
10. Casting wheel
After the anode furnace, the molten copper is cast into molds measuring approximately one square meter called anodes, using two casting wheels. Anodes are the end product of the smelting process.
11. Electrolytic refining
The objective of the electrolytic process is to remove the impurities present with the copper in the anodes obtained in the smelting, in order to obtain high purity copper cathodes. Our refinery has 1,204 cells where the electrochemical dissolution of anode copper is carried out. By means of a liquid substance called an electrolyte, copper is deposited on the stainless steel cathode. This refining process is known as “electrolysis”.
12. Cathodes
Copper cathodes, with a content of 99.99%, are Atlantic Copper’s main product. They are in high demand in various industries due to their high quality and purity.
