Copper Mining and Processing: Processing Copper Ores
The copper concentrate is first sent through the smelting furnace to be heated up to 2,300 °F and converted into molten liquid. The heated liquid is poured into a slag-settling furnace. This step produces a combination of matte, a mixture of copper, sulfur and iron, and slag, a dense, glassy material made of iron, silica, and other impurities.
