Copper is a widely used industrial metal that is found in Chile, Indonesia, and the USA. It is commonly extracted via pyrometallurgy, which involves smelting copper ore in furnaces to produce molten matte that is further processed to yield blister copper and electrolytic copper that is over 99% pure. Copper has many applications due to its corrosion resistance, conductivity, ability to form alloys, and other desirable properties. It is used extensively in electrical wiring, electronics, transportation, construction and other industries. Major copper producing companies in India include Hindustan Copper Limited, Hindalco Industries Limited, and Sterlite Industries Limited.

1. Non-Ferrous Alloys

2. Copper

3. Copper:-
 Copper is an element and a mineral called native
copper.
 Found in Chile, Indonesia and USA.
 Found in Loei and Khonkhan (but not much)
 Copper is an industrial metal and widely used in
unalloyed and alloyed conditions (second ranked from
steel and aluminium).

4. Smelting of copper
 Copper that is mined from copper ore, after
beneficiation, becomes high quality copper
concentrate. Then, after being smelted, refined copper
and copper products are yielded.
 There are two ways of smelting copper, one is
pyrometallurgy, the other hydrometallurgical.
Nowadays, the main smelting method is
pyrometallurgy, which accounts for 85% of output
in the world.

5.  Pyrometallurgy usually adopts original ore, in which its
content can reach 20%-30% after mineral processing.
Copper concentrate is put into an airtight blast
furnace, reverberatory, electric furnace, or flash
furnace for matte smelting.
 The output of molten matte is then put into the
converter for converting into a blister copper, and
next into another kind of reverberatory. Following
oxidation refining complex or casting anodes for the
purpose of electrolysis, electrolytic copper with grade
of up to 99.9% is finally produced.
 The process is short and with strong adaptability, and
copper recovery rates can reach 95%. However,
because sulfur escapes as waste gas, and is not easy
to recycle, pollution can easily result.

6. Pyrometallurgy of copper:-

7. Classifications :-

8.  1) Unalloyed copper
 2) Cu-Ni based:-
 Cupronickel (Cu-Ni)
 Nickel silver (Cu-Ni-Zn)
 3) Bronze :-
 Copper – Tin alloys
 Copper – Aluminium alloys
 Copper – Silicon alloys
 Copper – Beryllium alloys
 4) Brass:- Copper – Zinc alloy
Classifications :-

9. Cu and Cu alloys:-

10.  Corrosion Resistance – this metal is highly resistant
to corrosion and copper alloys have been found in
near-perfect condition after being buried for millennia.
 Conductivity – copper is a great electrical and
thermal conductor, which is why it’s often used for
electrical wiring
 Anti-Bacterial – copper compounds have been used
as bacteriostatic agents and fungicides, as well as
wood preservatives. This metal’s hygienic properties
make it useful to slow down the growth of bacteria
like E-coli, legionella and MRSA.
 Non-Magnetic – this is a non-ferrous metal,
which makes it useful for military applications,
Properties:-

11.  Easy to Alloy – another property that makes copper
so sought-after is its ability to easily alloy with other
metals, like zinc, tin and nickel.
 Malleability and Ductility – copper is easy to work
with, mainly when it comes to fabricating and joining.
 Patina – a green layer of copper sulfate that forms
on the surface of the metal due to corrosion;
however, this layer is protective and prevents the
metal from becoming more deteriorated.
 Attractive Colour:- Copper and its alloys, such as
brass, are used for jewellery and ornaments. They
have an attractive golden colour which varies with the
copper content. They have a good resistance to
tarnishing making them last a long a time

12. Application:-
 Copper is a kind of non-ferrous metal which has long
been closely connected to human beings. Not only are
there abundant resources in nature, but copper also
possesses excellent properties. Therefore, it is widely
used in electrical power, electronics, energy,
petrochemicals, transportation, machinery, metallurgy,
light and other new industries and some high-tech
fields.

13. • electrical power industry:- wire and cable,
transformers, switches, plug components and connectors
• electronics industry :- high frequency and ultra high
frequency tubes, crossing the catheter, magnetron, etc.
• energy and petrochemical industries :- Solar
heaters, pipe systems, filters, pumps and valves, all sorts
of evaporators and condensers

14.  transportation industry :- trains, the motors, rectifiers
and controls, brakes, electrics and signal systems also
rely on copper and its alloys
 mechanism and metallurgy industries :- cylinder
liners, gears, fittings, fasteners, twisting, etc.
 light industry : air conditioners, clock movements,
gridding cloth of paper machines, copper plate
printing, fermentation tank lining, distillation pots and
architectural decoration components, etc.

17. List of companies producing copper in India
 Hindustan Copper Limited
 Hindalco Industries Limited (Birla Copper)
 Sterlite Industries Limited
 Jhagadia Copper Limited
 Nissan Copper Limited India
 Gujarat copper Alloys Limited