Extraction and Manufacture of Copper Extraction and Manufacture of Copper Metallic copper occurs naturally but only in specific places.
Copper is mined by either underground or open pit mining.
The extraction of copper for sulphide ores is different to the removal of it from its oxidised ores . Sulphide ores Sulphide ores are crushed allowing the copper mineral particles to be released from the rock and then concentrated by froth flotation which is a method of separating ores from the unwanted gangue . Using a frothing agent particles of the ore are carried to the surface. This produces a copper sulphide concentrate which can then be roasted. Roasting then reduces the sulphide ore to the metal.