Question

What happens when copper matte is charged into a silica lined converter and hot air blast is blown?

Answer 1

Free State elements like carbon, sulfur, gold, and noble gases while others are combined forms in earth’s crust. Various principles of chemistry involve the extraction and isolation of an element. The process of isolation and metallurgy should be chemically feasible and commercially viable. Copper matte consists mainly of $C{{u}_{2}}S$ of and FeS.

Complete step by step solution:
The minerals which are naturally occurring chemical compounds in the earth’s crust are known as Ores. Generally, the extraction and isolation involve ores involving the following steps:
(i) Concentration of ore
(ii) Isolation of the metal from its concentration ores, and
(iii) Purification of metal
The process of isolation of the metal from its ores by using scientific and technological methods is known as metallurgy.
Copper matte has $C{{u}_{2}}S$ and FeS. When copper matte is charged into a silica lined converter and hot air blast is blown, FeO formed from the oxidation of FeS in matte. This FeO combines with silica
($Si{{O}_{2}}$ ) to produce $FeSi{{O}_{3}}$ , which is a slag.
$2FeS+3{{O}_{2}}\to 2FeO+2S{{O}_{2}}$
$FeO+Si{{O}_{2}}\to FeSi{{O}_{3}}(slag)$
All of the iron in copper matte is removed as slag and $C{{u}_{2}}S$ is oxidized to $C{{u}_{2}}O$ which is undergoing a reaction with $C{{u}_{2}}S$ to give Cu metal.
$2C{{u}_{2}}S+3{{O}_{2}}\to 2C{{u}_{2}}O+2S{{O}_{2}}$
$2C{{u}_{2}}O+C{{u}_{2}}S\to 6Cu+S{{O}_{2}}$

Note: Leaching is carried out with acid or bacteria in the presence of air for low grade copper ores. Copper dissolves into its solution as $C{{u}^{+2}}$ ions in this process. To get pure copper metal when this solution react with scrap iron or ${{H}_{2}}$