Copper production centers in Russia: characteristics, main enterprises. Copper production in Russia: introduction of high technologies, development of new deposits - a guarantee of maintaining a leading position in the world

Copper, classified as a non-ferrous metal, became known in ancient times. Man mastered its production earlier than iron. This can be explained by her frequent presence on earth's surface in an accessible state, and the relative ease of producing copper by extracting it from compounds. It got its name Cu from the island of Cyprus, where ancient technology Copper production has become widespread.

Due to its high electrical conductivity (copper is second only to silver among all metals), it is considered a particularly valuable electrical material. Although electrical wire, which previously accounted for up to 50% of global copper production, is now most often made from more affordable aluminum. Copper, along with most other non-ferrous metals, is considered an increasingly scarce material. This is due to the fact that today those ores that contain about 5% copper are called rich, and its main production is carried out by processing 0.5% ores. While in past centuries these ores contained from 6 to 9% Cu.

Copper is classified as a refractory metal. With a density of 8.98 g/cm3, its melting and boiling points are 1083°C and 2595°C, respectively. In compounds it is usually present with valency I or II; compounds with trivalent copper are less common. Salts of monovalent copper are slightly colored or completely colorless, and divalent copper gives its salts in an aqueous solution a characteristic color. Pure copper is a malleable metal with a reddish or pink (at break) color. In the lumen of a thin layer, it may appear greenish or blue. Most copper compounds have these same colors. This metal is present in many minerals, of which only 17 are used in copper production in Russia. great place This includes sulfides, native copper, sulfosalts and carbonates (silicates).

In addition to ores, the raw materials of copper production plants also include copper alloys from waste. Most often they include from 1 to 6% copper in sulfur compounds: chalcocite and chalcopyrite, coveline, bicarbonates and oxides, copper pyrites. Also, ores, along with waste rock, including calcium carbonates, magnesium, silicates, pyrite and quartz, may contain components of such elements as gold, tin, nickel, zinc, silver, silicon, etc. Not counting native ores, including copper in accessible form, all ores are divided into sulfide or oxidized, as well as mixed. The former are obtained as a result of oxidation reactions, and the latter are considered primary.

Copper production methods

Among the methods for producing copper from ores with concentrates, the pyrometallurgical method and the hydrometallurgical method are distinguished. The latter is not widely used. This is dictated by the impossibility of simultaneous reduction of other metals with copper. It is used to process oxidized or native ore with low copper content. Differing from it, the pyrometallurgical method allows the development of any raw material with the extraction of all components. It is very effective for ores undergoing beneficiation.

The main operation of this copper production process is smelting. In its production, copper ores or their roasted concentrates are used. In preparation for this operation, the copper production scheme provides for their enrichment by flotation. At the same time, ores containing valuable elements along with copper: tellurium or selenium, gold and silver, should be enriched in order to simultaneously transfer these elements into copper concentrate. The concentrate formed by this method can contain up to 35% copper, the same amount of iron, up to 50% sulfur, as well as waste rock. It is roasted in order to reduce its sulfur content to an acceptable level.

The concentrate is fired in a predominantly oxidizing environment, which removes approximately half of the sulfur content. The concentrate obtained in this way, when melted, gives a fairly rich matte. Firing also helps to halve the fuel consumption of a reverberatory furnace. This is achieved by high-quality mixing of the mixture composition, ensuring its heating to 600ºС. But it is better to process copper-rich concentrates without burning them, since after this the loss of copper with dust and in slag increases.

The result of this sequence of copper production is the division of the melt volume in two: matte-alloy and slag-alloy. The first liquid, as a rule, consists of copper and iron sulfides, the second - oxides of silicon, iron, aluminum and calcium. The processing of concentrates into matte alloy is carried out using electric or reverberatory furnaces various types. Pure copper or sulfur ores are best smelted using shaft furnaces. For the latter, it is also worth applying copper-sulfur fusion, which allows you to capture gases while simultaneously extracting sulfur.

In a special oven in small portions Copper ores with coke, as well as limestones and recycled products are loaded. The upper part of the furnace creates a reducing atmosphere, the lower part - an oxidizing one. As the lower layer melts, the mass slowly descends to meet the heated gases. The upper part of the furnace is heated to 450 ºС, and the temperature of the exhaust gases is 1500 ºС. This is necessary when creating conditions for purification from dust even before the release of vapors with sulfur begins.

As a result of such smelting, matte is obtained, including from 8 to 15% copper, slag, mainly containing lime with iron silicate, and also blast furnace gas. Sulfur is removed from the latter after preliminary dust precipitation. The problem of increasing the percentage of Cu in matte alloy in copper production in the world is solved by using contractile smelting. It consists of placing coke, quartz flux, and limestone in a furnace along with matte.

When the mixture is heated, the process of reduction of copper oxides and iron oxides occurs. Iron and copper sulfides fused with each other make up the original matte. The molten iron silicate, when flowing along the surfaces of the slopes, is absorbed by other components, replenishing the slag. The result of such smelting is the production of enriched matte with slag, including copper up to 40% and 0.8%, respectively. Precious metals, such as silver and gold, hardly dissolving in the slag alloy, end up entirely in the matte alloy.

Production of black and refined copper

During the extraction of blister copper, the production provides for blowing the matte alloy in a side-blast converter with air. This is necessary to oxidize the iron combined with sulfur and convert it into slag. This procedure is called conversion and is divided into two stages.

The first is to produce white matte by oxidizing iron sulfide with quartz flux. The accumulated slag is removed, and in its place another portion of the original matte is placed, replenishing its constant volume in the converter. In this case, only white matte remains in the converter as the slag is removed. It contains predominantly copper sulfides.

The next part of the conversion process is the actual production of blister copper by remelting white matte. It is obtained by oxidation of copper sulfide. The rough copper obtained during blowing consists of 99% Cu with minor additions of sulfur and various metals. However, it is not yet suitable for technical use. Therefore, after conversion, the refining method is necessarily applied to it, i.e. purification from impurities.

In the production of refined copper of the required quality, rough copper is first exposed to fire, then to electrolytic action. Through it, along with the elimination of unnecessary impurities, the valuable components contained in it are also obtained. To do this, blister copper at the fire stage is immersed in those furnaces that are used to smelt copper concentrate into matte alloy. And for electrolysis, special baths are needed; their insides are covered with vinyl plastic or lead.

The purpose of the fire refining stage is the primary purification of copper from impurities, necessary to prepare it for the next refining stage - electrolytic. Oxygen, arsenic, antimony, iron and other metals are removed from copper melted by the fire method along with dissolved gases and sulfur. Copper produced in this way may contain trace levels of selenium, tellurium and bismuth, which impairs its electrical conductivity and processability. These properties are especially valuable for the manufacture of copper products. Therefore, electrolytic refining is used to obtain copper suitable for electrical engineering.

During electrolytic refining, an anode cast from copper that has undergone a fire refining stage and a cathode made from thin sheet copper are alternately immersed in a bath of sulfuric acid electrolyte through which a current is passed. This operation allows high-quality purification of copper from harmful impurities with the simultaneous extraction of associated valuable metals from anode copper, which is an alloy of many components. The result of such refining is the production of cathode copper of high purity, containing up to 99.9% Cu, the production of sludge containing valuable metals, selenium with tellurium, as well as contaminated electrolyte. It can be used to make copper and nickel sulfate. In addition, incomplete chemical dissolution of the anode components produces anode scrap.

Electrolytic refining is the main method of obtaining technically valuable copper for industry. In Russia, which is one of the leading countries in copper production, cable and wire products are made with its help. Pure copper is widely used in electrical engineering. Copper alloys (brass, bronze, cupronickel, etc.) with zinc, iron, tin, manganese, nickel, and aluminum also occupy a large place here. Copper salts are in demand in agriculture Fertilizers, synthesis catalysts and pest control agents are obtained from them.

Copper- one of the most important metals, belongs to group I Periodic table; serial number 29; atomic mass – 63.546; density – 8.92 g/cm3. melting point – 1083 °C; boiling point – 2595 °C. In terms of electrical conductivity, it is somewhat inferior only to silver and is the main conductor material in electrical and radio engineering, which consumes 40...50% of all copper. Almost all areas of mechanical engineering use copper alloys - brass and bronze. Copper as an alloying element is included in many aluminum and other alloys.

World copper production in capitalist countries is about 6-7 million tons, including about 2 million tons of secondary copper. In the USSR, copper smelting increased by 30...40% over each five-year period.

Copper ores. Copper is found in nature mainly in the form of sulfur compounds CuS (covellite), Cu 2 S (chalcocite) in sulfide ores (85...95% of reserves), less often in the form of oxide compounds Cu 2 O (cuprite), carbon dioxide compounds CuCO 3 Cu(OH) 2 - malachite 2CuCO 3 · Cu(OH) 2 - azurite and native copper metal (very rare). Oxide and carbon dioxide compounds are difficult to enrich and are processed hydrometallurgically.

Sulfide ores are of greatest industrial importance in the USSR, from which about 80% of all copper is obtained. The most common sulfide ores are copper pyrite, copper luster, etc.

All copper ores are poor and usually contain 1...2%, sometimes less than 1% copper. Waste rock, as a rule, consists of sandstones, clay, limestone, iron sulfides, etc. Many ores are complex - polymetallic and contain, in addition to copper, nickel, zinc, lead and other valuable elements in the form of oxides and compounds.

Approximately 90% of primary copper is obtained by pyrometallurgical processes; about 10% by hydrometallurgical method.

Hydrometallurgical method consists of extracting copper by leaching it (for example, with weak solutions of sulfuric acid) and then separating copper metal from the solution. This method, used for processing low-grade oxidized ores, is not widely used in our industry.

Pyrometallurgical method consists of obtaining copper by smelting it from copper ores. It includes the enrichment of ore, its roasting, smelting into an intermediate product - matte, smelting black copper from matte, its refining, i.e., purification from impurities (Fig. 2.1).

Rice. 2.1. Simplified diagram of pyrometallurgical copper production

The flotation method is most widely used for the enrichment of copper ores. Flotation is based on different wetting of metal-containing particles and gangue particles with water (Fig. 2.2).

Rice. 2.2. Flotation scheme:

A - circuit diagram mechanical flotation machine (option);

b – diagram of the floating of particles; 1 – mixer with blades; 2 – partition;

3 – diagram of mineralized foam; 4 – hole for removing tails

(waste rock); I – mixing and aeration zone.

Copper ore beneficiation. Low-grade copper ores are enriched to obtain a concentrate containing 10...35% copper. When enriching complex ores, it is possible to extract other valuable elements from them.

Pulp is fed into the flotation machine bath - a suspension of water, finely ground ore (0.05...0.5 mm) and special reagents that form films on the surface of metal-containing particles that are not wetted by water. As a result of vigorous mixing and aeration, air bubbles appear around these particles. They float up, removing metal-containing particles with them, and form a layer of foam on the surface of the bath. Waste rock particles wetted with water do not float and settle to the bottom of the bath.

Ore particles are filtered from the foam, dried, and an ore concentrate containing 10...35% copper is obtained. When processing complex ores, selective flotation is used, sequentially separating metal-containing particles of various metals. For this purpose, appropriate flotation reagents are selected.

Burning. Ore concentrates sufficiently rich in copper are smelted “raw” into matte - without pre-firing, which reduces copper losses (in slag - during smelting, entrainment - with dust during roasting); main disadvantage: when smelting raw concentrates, sulfur dioxide SO 2, which pollutes the atmosphere, is not utilized. Roasting the leaner concentrates removes excess sulfur in the form of SO2, which is used to produce sulfuric acid. When melting, a matte rich in copper is obtained; the productivity of the melting furnaces increases by 1.5...2 times.

Firing is carried out in vertical multi-hearth cylindrical furnaces (diameter 6.5...7.5 m, height 9...11 m), in which crushed materials are gradually moved by mechanical rakes from the upper first hearth to the second one located below, then to the third, etc. The required temperature (850 °C) is provided as a result of the combustion of sulfur (CuS, Cu 2 S, etc.). The resulting sulfur dioxide SO 2 is sent to produce sulfuric acid.

The productivity of the furnaces is low - up to 300 tons of charge per day, the irreversible loss of copper with dust is about 0.5%.

A new, progressive method is fluidized bed firing (Fig. 2.3).

The essence of this method is that finely ground sulfide particles are oxidized at 600...700 °C by air oxygen entering through holes in the bottom of the furnace. Under air pressure, the particles of the fired material are suspended, making continuous movement and forming a “boiling” (“fluidized”) layer. The fired material “flows” over the threshold of the furnace. The exhaust sulfur dioxide gases are cleaned of dust and sent to sulfuric acid production. With this firing, the intensity of oxidation sharply increases; productivity is several times higher than in multi-hearth furnaces.

Melting for matte. Smelting for concentrate matte is most often carried out in combustion furnaces operating on pulverized, liquid or gaseous fuel. Such furnaces have a length of up to 40 m, a width of up to 10 m, a hearth area of ​​up to 250 m2 and can accommodate 100 tons or more of melted materials. In the working space of the furnaces, a temperature develops of 1500...1600 °C.

When melting, molten matte gradually accumulates on the bottom of the furnace - an alloy consisting mainly of copper sulfide Cu 2 S and iron sulfide FeS. It usually contains 20...60% Cu, 10...60% Fe and 20...25% S. In the molten state (temp -950...1050 °C) the matte is processed into blister copper.

Concentrates are also smelted in electric furnaces, shaft furnaces and other methods. Technically advanced smelting in electric furnaces (current passes between electrodes in a layer of slag) has found limited application due to the high energy consumption. Copper lump ores with high copper and sulfur content are often subjected to copper-sulfur smelting in vertical air-blast shaft furnaces. The charge consists of ore (or briquettes), coke and other materials. The smelted lean matte with 8...15% Cu is enriched by repeated smelting to 25...4% Cu, removing excess iron. This smelting is economically beneficial, since up to 90% of the elemental sulfur of the ore is recovered from the furnace gases.

blister copper melted by blowing molten matte with air in horizontal cylindrical converters (Fig. 2.4) with a main lining (magnesite) with a smelting mass of up to 100 tons. The converter is installed on support rollers and can be rotated to the required position. Air blast is supplied through 40-50 tuyeres located along the converter.

Molten matte is poured through the neck of the converter. In this case, the converter is turned so that the air tuyeres are not flooded. Sand - flux - is loaded onto the surface of the matte through a neck or a special pneumatic device to slagging the iron oxides formed during blowing. Then turn on the air blast and turn the converter to working position when the tuyeres are below the melt level. The density of matte (5 g/cm3) is significantly less than the specific gravity of copper (8.9 g/cm3). Therefore, during the smelting process, matte is added several times until the entire converter capacity designed for smelted copper is used. Air blowing continues for up to 30 hours. The process of smelting blister copper from matte is divided into two periods.

In the first period, FeS is oxidized by air blast oxygen according to the reaction

2FeS + ZO 2 = 2FeO + 2SO 2 + Q.

The resulting iron oxide FeO is slagged with silica SiO 2 flux:

2FeO + SiO 2 = SiO 2 ∙2FeO + Q.

As necessary, the resulting ferrous slag is drained through the neck (by turning the converter), new portions of matte are added, flux is added and blowing continues. By the end of the first period, iron is almost completely removed. Matte consists mainly of Cu 2 S and contains up to 80% copper.

The slag contains up to 3% Cu and is used in smelting for matte.

In the second period, favorable conditions are created for reactions to occur

2Cu 2 S + ZO 2 = 2Cu 2 O + 2SO 2 +Q;

Cu 2 S + 2Cu 2 O = 6Cu + SO 2 - Q,

leading to copper reduction.

As a result of melting in a converter, blister copper is obtained. It contains 1.5...2% impurities (iron, nickel, lead, etc.) and cannot be used for technical needs. The copper smelt is released from the converter through the neck, poured on casting machines into ingots (bayonets) or slabs and sent for refining.

Refining of copper - its purification from impurities - is carried out by fire and electrolytic methods.

Fire refining is carried out in fiery furnaces with a capacity of up to 400 tons. Its essence lies in the fact that zinc, tin and other impurities are more easily oxidized than copper itself and can be removed from it in the form of oxides. The refining process consists of two periods - oxidative and reduction.

IN oxidative period, the impurities are partially oxidized already during the melting of copper. After complete melting, to accelerate oxidation, the copper is blown with air, feeding it through steel tubes immersed in the liquid metal. Oxides of some impurities (SbO 2, PbO, ZnO, etc.) are easily sublimated and removed with furnace gases. The other part of the impurities forms oxides that turn into slag (FeO, Al 2 O 3, Si0 2). Gold and silver do not oxidize and remain dissolved in copper.

During this smelting period, copper oxidation also occurs according to the reaction 4Cu + O 2 = 2Cu 2 O.

The task restorative period is the deoxidation of copper, i.e. reduction of Cu 2 0, as well as degassing of the metal. To carry it out, the oxidation slag is completely removed. A layer is poured onto the surface of the bath charcoal, which protects the metal from oxidation. Then the so-called copper teasing is carried out. First, wet and then dry poles are immersed in the molten metal. As a result of dry distillation of wood, water vapor and gaseous hydrocarbons are released; they vigorously mix the metal, helping to remove gases dissolved in it (teasing for density).

Gaseous hydrocarbons deoxidize copper, for example, by the reaction 4Cu 2 O + CH 4 = 8Cu + CO 2 + 2H 2 O (teasing for malleability). Refined copper contains 0.3...0.6% Sb and other harmful impurities, sometimes up to 0.1% (Au + Ag).

The finished copper is released from the furnace and poured into ingots for rolling or into anode plates for subsequent electrolytic refining. The purity of copper after fire refining is 99.5 ... 99.7%.

Electrolytic refining ensures the purest, highest quality copper. Electrolysis is carried out in baths made of reinforced concrete and wood, lined with sheet lead or vinyl plastic inside. The electrolyte is a solution of copper sulfate (CuSO 4) and sulfuric acid, heated to 60...65 ° C. The anodes are plates measuring 1x1 m, 40...50 mm thick, cast from refined copper. Thin sheets (0.5...0.7 mm) made of electrolytic copper are used as cathodes.

Anodes and cathodes are placed alternately in the bath; Up to 50 anodes are placed in one bath. Electrolysis is carried out at a voltage of 2...3 V and a current density of 100...150 A/m 2.

When a direct current is passed, the anodes gradually dissolve, and copper goes into solution in the form of Cu 2+ cations. At the cathodes, Cu 2+ +2e → Cu cations are discharged and metallic copper is released.

Anode plates dissolve in 20…30 days. The cathodes are increased over 10...15 days to a mass of 70...140 kg, and then removed from the bath and replaced with new ones.

During electrolysis at the cathode, hydrogen is released and dissolved in copper, causing embrittlement of the metal. Subsequently, the cathode copper is melted in smelting furnaces and poured into ingots to produce sheets, wire, etc. This removes hydrogen. Electricity consumption per 1 ton of cathode copper is 200...400 kW h. Electrolytic copper has a purity of 99.95%. Some of the impurities settle at the bottom of the bath in the form of sludge, from which gold, silver and some other metals are extracted.

1. The head office of UMMC is located in the city of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, not far from Yekaterinburg.

2. The Uralelectromed plant, from which the creation of the holding began, is also located here.

Copper production begins with the extraction of raw materials. This is done by 9 enterprises of the company's mineral resources complex. Each of the deposits has its own characteristics - at one the copper content in the ore can be 1.5%, and at another - up to 2.5%.

3. Gaisky GOK (mining and processing plant)

The most large enterprise raw materials complex. Located in the city of Gai, Orenburg region. More than 70% of the region's copper reserves are concentrated here.

4. Ore is mined here open method, and in an underground mine.

5. The maximum depth of the lower production horizons will be 1310 meters.

This is one of the few enterprises in Russia that mines copper at such a great depth.

6. Drilling tunnel complex.

7. Every year the enterprise mines about 8 million tons of ore and produces 550 thousand tons of copper concentrate (more than 90 thousand tons of copper).

8. All mined ores are processed at the plant’s own processing plant.

To enrich the ore, it is necessary to separate the gangue minerals from the valuable minerals, then separate the copper and zinc minerals from each other, and, if necessary, lead, if its content in the ore is high enough.

9. At the beneficiation plant, concentrates are produced from the mined ore. Copper concentrate is sent to copper smelters, in particular to the Mednogorsk copper-sulfur plant and the Sredneuralsk copper smelter in Revda, and zinc concentrate is sent to the zinc plant in Chelyabinsk and Electrozinc in Vladikavkaz.

10. Northern copper-zinc mine of JSC Svyatogor. Located in the north Sverdlovsk region.

11. Copper-zinc ore is mined here, which, after processing at a crushing and sorting complex, is transported to the Svyatogora processing plant, located in the city of Krasnouralsk.

12. In March 2014, open pit mining of the Tarnier deposit was completed.
Now the company is developing the Shemurskoye field and is beginning to develop the Novo-Shemurskoye field.

13. Due to the inaccessibility of the mine, mining here is carried out on a rotational basis.

14. Uchalinsky GOK.

Located in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The company is the largest producer of zinc concentrate in Russia.

15. Sibay branch of Uchalinsky GOK.

The Sibay quarry is the deepest quarry in Russia and the second deepest in the world. Its depth was 504 meters and its diameter was more than two kilometers.

16. Now the main production is carried out using the shaft method.

17. Used for mine safety remote control LDM (Loading and Delivery Machine).

18. Copper and zinc concentrates produced at the Uchalinsky GOK are subsequently supplied to the Sredneuralsky Copper Smelter, Svyatogor, Electrozinc, and the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant.

19. "Bashkir copper".

The company develops the Yubileinoye deposit and specializes in the extraction and processing of copper ores. Copper concentrate is sent to the Sredneuralsk Copper Smelter, and zinc concentrate is sent to the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant.

20. Currently, open-pit mining of the Yubileinoye deposit is being completed; in connection with this, the enterprise is constructing an underground mine.

21. The reserves of the underground mine are estimated by experts at about 100 million tons, which will provide the enterprise with work for more than 30 years.

22. The Khaibullinsky concentrating plant has modern equipment from Japan, Australia, South Africa, Italy, Finland and Germany.

Enrichment makes it possible to obtain copper concentrate with a copper content of up to 20%, which is almost 13 times higher than in ore. The degree of zinc enrichment is even higher - 35 times or more, while the mass fraction of zinc in the zinc concentrate reaches 50–52%.

23. Buribayevsky GOK.

The plant is engaged in the extraction and enrichment of copper ore, which is sent to the Mednogorsk copper and sulfur plant. In July 2015, the Yuzhny shaft with a depth of 492 meters was launched at the mining and processing plant with the release of the first car of rock mass. The first ore in the shaft will be mined in mid-2016. The construction of a new facility will increase the design life of the enterprise until 2030.

24. "Safyanovskaya copper".

The company is developing the Safyanovskoye copper-pyrite deposit, which is located in the Sverdlovsk region and accounts for about 3% of the all-Russian production of copper-containing ores.

25. Over the entire period of operation of the quarry, 17.8 million tons of ore were mined and more than 39.7 million m3 of stripping operations were performed.

Today its depth is 185 meters (in the future it will increase to 265 meters).

26. Open pit mining of the Safyanovskoye deposit is now being completed, and the enterprise is moving on to underground ore mining.

27. In December 2014, the first start-up complex of the underground mine was put into operation and the first tons of ore were obtained.

28. It is expected that ore mining from the deep horizons of the Safyanovskoye deposit will last at least 25 years.

29. The mined ore is sent for further processing to the Svyatogor processing plant, a metallurgical enterprise located in the Sverdlovsk region.

30. Urup Mining and Processing Plant.

It mines and enriches copper pyrite ore in the foothills of the North Caucasus.

31. Currently, ore is mined at a depth of 523 meters.

32. The main product of the enterprise is copper concentrate; in addition to copper, gold and silver are extracted.

33. "Siberia-Polymetals".

The company is located in the city of Rubtsovsk Altai Territory. The main products are copper and zinc concentrates, which are supplied to the Sredneuralsk Copper Smelter and the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant.

34. Siberia-Polymetals was created in 1998 with the goal of reviving the mining of polymetallic ores in the Altai Territory.

35.

36. The presence of the Rubtsovskaya and Zarechenskaya processing plants within the enterprise allows us to have a complete technological cycle for processing the mined ore.

Production of blister copper.

Blister copper is obtained by smelting copper concentrate and separating slag. The metal content in blister copper is 98-99%.

37. OJSC "Svyatogor"

A full technological cycle enterprise for the production of blister copper, located in the Sverdlovsk region. Copper and copper-zinc ores from the Northern Group deposits are processed at a processing plant, which produces 3 types of concentrate - copper, iron and zinc. Copper concentrate is supplied for further processing into our own metallurgical production, zinc - to the Electrozinc plant and the Chelyabinsk zinc plant, and iron concentrate is shipped to ferrous metallurgy enterprises.

38. The main production site of Svyatogor is the metallurgical workshop. From here, blister copper is sent for further processing to Uralelectromed.

39. Mednogorsk copper-sulfur plant.

The city-forming enterprise of the city of Mednogorsk in the Orenburg region, specializing in the production of blister copper.

40. MMSC's production facilities include a copper smelting shop, a briquette factory, a sulfuric acid shop, a dust processing shop, as well as a number of auxiliary departments.

41.

42. Over its 75-year history, the enterprise has produced over 1.5 million tons of blister copper.

43. Sredneuralsk Copper Smelter (SUMZ)

The largest blister copper production enterprise within UMMC, located in the city of Revda (Sverdlovsk region). The enterprise's capacity is designed to produce about 150 thousand tons of blister copper, which is then sent for further processing to Uralelectromed.

44. The founding date of the plant is June 25, 1940. To date, SUMZ has already smelted more than 6 million tons of blister copper.

45. After the completion of large-scale reconstruction, the recovery rate of waste gases, including converter gases, reached 99.7%. Consumers of SUMZ products are the largest metallurgical, chemical, mining and processing enterprises in Russia, near and far abroad.

46. "Electrozinc".

One of the oldest enterprises in North Ossetia, located in the city of Vladikavkaz.

47. The founding date of the plant is considered to be November 4, 1904, when the first metallic Russian zinc was produced at the enterprise.

48. The main products of the enterprise are refined (containing 99.9%) zinc, as well as lead, which is obtained from copper smelting waste.

Blister copper is always subjected to refining in order to remove impurities, as well as extract gold, silver, etc. Purification is carried out by fire and electrolytic refining.

49. "Uralelektromed"

The head enterprise of UMMC is located in the city of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk region.

50. Every year the enterprise produces over 380 thousand tons of refined copper - the most in Russia!

52. The company supplies its products to partners from 15 countries in Europe, Northern and South America, South-East Asia.

53. In addition to copper, the company produces gold and silver. Uralelectromed became the world's first copper enterprise included in the London Precious Metals Market Association's Good Delivery list of recognized global producers of precious metals.

54. Gold is produced using hydrochemical technology by dissolving gold products in “aqua regia” (a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid) and subsequent precipitation from solutions. When the resulting sediment is melted down, gold bars are obtained.

55. Branch "Production of polymetals" of OJSC "Uralelectromed".

Located in the city of Kirovgrad, Sverdlovsk region. The company specializes in the production of blister copper and zinc oxide.

56. The main consumers are OJSC Uralelectromed (blister copper) and OJSC Electrozinc (zinc oxide).

Metalworking.

To manage non-ferrous metals processing enterprises, UMMC-OTsM was created. Their products are used in the automotive, mechanical and electrical engineering industries.

57. Kirov non-ferrous metals processing plant (OTsM).

58. Production is organized according to the principle of a closed metallurgical cycle from casting to the production of flat and round products. The company exports rolled products to the USA, countries Western Europe, Southeast Asia and neighboring countries.

59. Sochi Olympic coins and Indian rupees were made from the coin tape of the Kirov OCM plant. The thickness of the thinnest foil produced at the enterprise is 25 microns. Which is three times thinner than a human hair.

60. Kolchuginsky OCM plant.

Located in Vladimir region, produces more than 20 thousand standard sizes of products in the form of pipes, rods and profiles from 72 grades of alloys.

61. In terms of the variety of finished products, the company is the only universal manufacturer of rolled products in the CIS.

62. The Kolchuginsky plant also produces the famous cup holders that each of us has encountered on long-distance trains.

63. Copper pipe factory.

Located near the town of Majdanpek in the Republic of Serbia. Specializes in the production of copper pipes for water supply, heating, cooling and air conditioning systems.

64. The plant exports more than 80% of its products. Copper pipes represented on the markets of Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, Holland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, Israel and the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

65. "Orenburg radiator".

The plant is rightfully one of the leaders among enterprises producing products for mechanical engineering. Among the consumers of Orenburg Radiator are over 20 Russian factories, as well as foreign enterprises from the USA, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

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World copper production 1900-2015

World production of primary copper in 1900 was only 495 thousand tons, in 1997 - 11526 thousand tons, and in 2015 - 22848 thousand tons. In the period from 1900 to 1960, world copper production grew by 3.2% annually, from 1960 to 1970 - 3.4% per year, in the 1970s - by 2.6%, in the 1980s - by 2.2%, in 1990 's - by 3.1%, and in the 2000s - by 2.3% per year.

Primary copper production in the world, thousand tons*

* ICSG, WBMS, USGS data were used to construct the graphs

Traditionally the world's leading supplier of copper ore and concentrates, Chile increased its share of global copper production from 13% in 1978 to 29% in 1997 and to 30% by 2015. In 2015, Chile produced 5,700 thousand tons of copper (in the form of ore and concentrates). African countries, on the contrary, have reduced copper production.

Production of copper concentrates in the world, thousand tons

Obtaining copper metal. Smelting is a pyrometallurgical process used to produce copper metal. Primary copper smelters use copper concentrate as raw material. Recycled copper plants - copper scrap. Approximately half of the world's copper smelted annually comes from four countries - Chile, China, Japan and the United States.

Volumes of copper smelting by region in 2015, thousand tons

Production of refined copper. The share of refined copper produced using SX-EW technology ("Solvent Extraction - Electric Extraction") in the total volume of refined copper produced in the world is constantly growing and currently amounts to almost 20%. Meanwhile, the main method of producing refined copper still remains the production of copper cathodes by electrolysis. In particular, the largest copper producer in Russia, MMC Norilsk Nickel, uses this technology.

Production volumes of refined copper by various methods, thousand tons

In recent decades, Chile and the countries of Southeast Asia have begun to play a special role in the global copper market, along with the United States. Thus, over the past 30 years, Chile has become largest manufacturer refined copper in the world. The production of refined copper in this country increased in 2012 by 1858% compared to the level of 1960 (177 thousand tons). Refined copper production in Asia increased by almost 2,000% over the same period, mainly due to increased production in Japan and China.

Refined copper production volumes by region, thousand tons

Experts predict that global copper production will also increase in the coming years. It is noted that almost all copper companies in the world are seeking to take advantage of the current all-time high market conditions. In the medium term, this circumstance (together with measures taken by the Chinese government to limit the export of non-ferrous metals from the country) may lead to an increase in supply and a decrease in world prices for copper.

According to Metal Bulletin, in 2012 the following main factors influenced the increase in tension in the copper market:

• a significant decrease in the quality of mined ores;
• expansion of production by shaft method versus open-pit mining, which significantly increased production costs;
• growth of political risks - new fields are located, for the most part, in countries characterized by political instability;
• insufficient development of infrastructure in areas of new fields;
• short-term negative factors, such as labor strikes or adverse weather conditions.

This situation in the market as a whole remained until 2014. However, according to the International Copper Study Group (ICSG), the situation began to change in 2015. Additional supplies to the market of copper produced from copper concentrate led to the fact that the shortage of metal on the market sharply decreased and prices went down. The trend continued in the first half of 2016. The decrease in supply was observed only in the SX-EW sector, but it could not fully compensate for the increase in copper production using traditional technology.

World copper consumption 1900-2015

Since the beginning of the 20th century, industrial demand for refined copper has increased from 494 thousand tons/year to almost 23,000 thousand tons/year in 2015. During the pre-war period, demand for copper increased by an average of 3.1% annually. After World War II (1945-1973), the demand for copper increased by 4.5% annually. Since 1974, the year of the first oil crisis, the growth rate of copper demand has slowed to 2.4% per year, rose again in the 1990s to about 2.9%, and in the 2000s it was approximately 3.0%.

Volumes of copper consumption in the world, thousand tons

Currently, the main consumers of refined copper are dominated by industrialized and developing countries in Asia (China, India, Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand), EU countries (Germany, Italy, France, etc.), and traditionally the USA. At the same time, the concentration of refined copper consumption in the world's largest economies is gradually increasing, primarily due to China, India, Japan and a number of other Asia-Pacific countries.

Overall, the global copper market is last years continued to focus on Chinese demand, the growth of which slowed down, but still remained significantly higher than the global one. If global copper consumption in 2015 showed virtually no growth compared to the level of 2014, then in relation to China this figure increased by 5.3% to 9.18 million tons. In 2016, demand for this metal in China, according to Antaike estimates, may grow by another 4.0-4.5% compared to the previous year, while total global consumption may expand only by 3.0%.

Volumes of copper consumption by region, thousand tons

At the same time, the copper market, like the non-ferrous metals market in general, is subject to cyclical fluctuations. Since the mid-90s, the dynamics of demand for non-ferrous metals, in particular copper, began to be determined mainly by changes in the needs of Asian countries. But in 1998-2002, the economies of these countries were in a state of crisis, producers began to mothball projects for creating new capacities and developing large deposits, and many companies reduced production.

In 2002, for the first time in twenty years, refined copper smelting decreased compared to the previous year. Since 2002-2003, the recession gave way to economic recovery in developed countries, and demand for copper began to grow; China is increasing its consumption especially rapidly. But the mothballed capacities could not be put into operation instantly, and the expansion of the ore base required for long years. So, a significant shortage of copper has formed on the market, which last year grew to record levels, and metal inventories, on the contrary, decreased to critical levels.

Manufacturers began to actively take advantage of the favorable market conditions and announce the restoration of old capacities and the commissioning of new capacities. However, due to long terms implementation of new large investment projects in 2004-2006, the copper market continued to have an excess of demand over supply and prices for this metal increased significantly. In 2011-2015, there was a deficit of 100-400 thousand tons in the copper market. In 2016, against the backdrop of strong production growth and only a slight increase in consumption, a surplus of metal again formed on the market.

World copper prices in the period 2010-2013 remained at record high level, however, since 2014 they began to decline. The London Metal Exchange (LME) spot copper price averaged $5,502/t in 2015, down from $6,877/t a year earlier. Data on economic slowdown in China and the United States had a negative impact on the demand for copper from stock market speculators. Sluggish economic growth in countries European Union also had a negative impact on the cost of the “red metal”.

World prices for copper, dollars/t

Copper market development prospects

The copper market is expected to remain broadly balanced in 2016 and 2017, according to ICSG forecasts. For comparison: with a slight deficit of 127 thousand tons in 2016 and a surplus of 175 thousand tons in 2017.

Global copper production is expected to increase by about 1.5% in 2016 (down from 3.5% growth in 2015) to reach 19.4 million tonnes. While concentrate production is expected to increase by 4%, the increase will be partially offset by lower SX-EW production due to price-related production cuts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chile. Higher copper production growth of around 2.3% is expected in 2017 as a result of expansion at existing operations, as well as ramp-up at mines that have recently come online and the start of production at several new copper projects.

After increasing by about 1.6% in 2015, global refined copper production in 2016 is expected to increase by only 0.5% to 23 million tonnes. While primary refined copper production (excluding SX-EW) is expected to increase by approximately 3%, the increase will be partially offset by an expected 1% decline in secondary metal production (from scrap) and an 8% decline in SX-EW production . In 2017, refined copper production is expected to grow by 2%, benefiting from approximately 7% growth in SX-EW production. China will make a major contribution to global economic growth in both years.

ICSG expects global apparent copper consumption to remain flat in 2016. This will happen mainly because apparent demand in China is expected to remain flat (+0.5%), although "real" demand growth in China is estimated to be around 3-4%. Consumption in the rest of the world is expected to remain relatively flat in 2016. In 2017, global refined copper consumption growth is expected to be around 1.8%, with underlying Chinese industrial demand growth at around 3%, while demand in the rest of the world is expected to increase by around 1%.

Which refers to non-ferrous metals, has been known for a long time. Its production was invented before people began to make iron. It is believed to have occurred as a result of its availability and fairly simple extraction from copper-containing compounds and alloys. So, let's look today at the properties and composition of copper, the world's leading countries in copper production, the manufacture of products from it and the features of these areas.

Copper has high coefficient electrical conductivity, which served to increase its value as an electrical material. If previously up to half of all copper produced in the world was spent on electrical wires, now aluminum is used for these purposes as a more affordable metal. And copper itself becomes the most scarce non-ferrous metal.

This video discusses chemical composition copper:

Structure

The structural composition of copper includes many crystals: gold, calcium, silver, and many others. All metals included in its structure are distinguished by relative softness, ductility and ease of processing. Most of these crystals, when combined with copper, form solid solutions with continuous rows.

The unit cell of this metal is cubic in shape. For each such cell there are four atoms located at the vertices and the central part of the face.

Chemical composition

The composition of copper during its production may include a number of impurities that affect the structure and characteristics of the final product. At the same time, their content should be regulated both by individual elements and by their total quantity. Impurities that are found in copper include:

• Bismuth. This component negatively affects both technological and mechanical properties metal That is why it should not exceed 0.001% of the finished composition.
• Oxygen. It is considered the most undesirable impurity in copper. Its maximum content in the alloy is up to 0.008% and rapidly decreases when exposed to high temperatures. Oxygen negatively affects the ductility of the metal, as well as its resistance to corrosion.
• Manganese. In the case of the manufacture of conductive copper, this component negatively affects its conductivity. Already at room temperature dissolves quickly in copper.
• Arsenic. This component creates a solid solution with copper and has virtually no effect on its properties. Its action is largely aimed at neutralizing the negative effects of antimony, bismuth and oxygen.
• . Forms a solid solution with copper and at the same time reduces its thermal and electrical conductivity.
• . Creates a solid solution and enhances thermal conductivity.
• Selenium, sulfur. These two components have the same effect on the final product. They form a fragile connection with copper and amount to no more than 0.001%. As the concentration increases, the degree of ductility of copper sharply decreases.
• Antimony. This component is highly soluble in copper and therefore has minimal impact on its final properties. It is allowed no more than 0.05% of the total volume.
• Phosphorus. Serves as the main deoxidizer of copper, the maximum solubility of which is 1.7% at a temperature of 714°C. Phosphorus, in combination with copper, not only promotes better welding, but also improves its mechanical properties.
• . Contained in a small amount of copper, it has virtually no effect on its thermal and electrical conductivity.

Copper production

Copper is produced from sulfide ores, which contain at least 0.5% of this copper. In nature, there are about 40 minerals containing this metal. The most common sulfide mineral actively used in copper production is chalcopyrite.

To produce 1 ton of copper you need to take great amount raw materials that contain it. Take, for example, the production of cast iron; to obtain 1 ton of this metal, it will be necessary to process about 2.5 tons of iron ore. And to obtain the same amount of copper, it will be necessary to process up to 200 tons of ore containing it.

The video below will tell you about copper mining:

Technology and necessary equipment

Copper production involves a number of stages:

1. Grinding of ore in special crushers and its subsequent more thorough grinding in ball-type mills.
2. Flotation. The pre-crushed raw material is mixed with a small amount of flotation reagent and then placed in a flotation machine. This additional component is usually potassium and lime xanthate, which is coated with copper minerals in the machine chamber. The role of lime at this stage is extremely important, since it prevents the envelopment of xanthate by particles of other minerals. Only air bubbles stick to the copper particles, which carry it to the surface. As a result of this process, a copper concentrate is obtained, which is directed to remove excess moisture from its composition.
3. Burning. Ores and their concentrates undergo a roasting process in monopod furnaces, which is necessary to remove sulfur from them. The result is cinder and sulfur-containing gases, which are subsequently used to produce sulfuric acid.
4. Melting of the charge in a reflective furnace. At this stage, you can take raw or already fired mixture and fire it at a temperature of 1500°C. An important operating condition is to maintain a neutral atmosphere in the furnace. As a result, copper is sulfided and converted into matte.
5. Conversion. The resulting copper in combination with quartz flux is blown in a special convector for 15-24 hours. The result is blister copper as a result of complete burnout of sulfur and removal of gases. It may contain up to 3% of various impurities, which are removed due to electrolysis.
6. Refining by fire. The metal is pre-melted and then refined in special furnaces. The output is red copper.
7. Electrolytic refining. The anodic and flame copper goes through this stage for maximum purification.

Read below about copper factories and centers in Russia and around the world.

Famous manufacturers

There are only four largest copper mining and production enterprises in Russia:

1. "Norilsk Nickel";
2. "Uralelectromed";
3. Novgorod Metallurgical Plant;
4. Kyshtym copper electrolyte plant.

The first two companies are part of the famous UMMC holding, which includes about 40 industrial enterprises. It produces more than 40% of all copper in our country. The last two plants belong to the Russian Copper Company.

The video below will tell you about copper production: