07.03.2020

Where to dig copper in World War II 3.3 5. Copper ore: properties, application, extraction. Careful attitude to copper ores

Copper ore is a natural mineral, consisting of various chemical elements. Formulations that are beneficial to process should include 0.5-1% of the main component. Other important element ore is considered to be nickel.

Deposits on the world map

The largest ore reserves are located in Chile - 34% of the world's. The USA and Peru each contain 9% of the fossil deposits. Eastern Siberia, the Urals and the Kola Peninsula account for 5% of the deposits.

World copper deposits are located on the African continent, in South America, Canada, Australia. From European countries Poland is richest in them. Deposits are known in China and Mongolia.

Porphyry and vein deposits are located in the Western Pacific belt, Mediterranean regions. They are possessed by Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan.

Varieties of copper ores

Classification of ore by genetic and geological features:

stratiform - these are sandstones and shales;
pyrite - vein copper and nuggets;
hydrothermal - it is called the porphyry copper form;
skarn rocks;
igneous - this ore contains nickel;
carbonate - have iron-copper and carbonatite composition.

Natural minerals containing copper

Sulfide ore, its composition is determined by the expression Cu5FeS4. There are two polymorphic species - low-temperature and high-temperature. The melting point of which, respectively, is less or more than 228 degrees.

There is an early unstable sulfide, easily destroyed by water and wind. Another type is endogenous, has a non-permanent chemical composition due to impurities of such elements as galena, pyrite, chalcocite, chalcopyrite. Bornite is called motley pyrites. The characteristics of these minerals depend on their origin.

The formula CuFeS2 determines its composition. Known as copper pyrite. Refers to polymetallic. May exist as skarns and mountain greisens.

Contains 79.8% copper and 20.2% . Very beautiful, the mirror surface has a grayish tint, sometimes black.

There are rare fossils containing elements of copper:

cuprite (Cu2O), an oxide, seen among malachite and nugget deposits;
covelline, contains 66.5% of the main element and sulfur. First found in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius. Produced in the USA, Greece, Chile;
malachite. A stone that is used for various crafts. polymetallic ore. Nizhny Tagil is a place of large deposits of this mineral;
azurite This is azure stone of blue color. The main places of its extraction are Africa, Australia, England, Balkan countries. Occurs near sulfide deposits.

Porphyry copper forms include molybdenum, gold, chalcopyrite, pyrite. They are found in deposits of poor rocks. They have the form of vein inclusions of the stockwork type.

Mineral extraction methods

Depending on the depth of occurrence, the ore is mined by an open or closed method. There are standards that determine the expediency of the depth of excavation of soil layers, the use of technologies that reduce their cost.

The work technology includes the following:

the use of self-propelled equipment;
production directly extracting ore;
filling voids with materials to make further work safe.

When fossils are selected in layers, this ensures their fullest use. For quarries of great depth, the technology of cyclical-in-line work is suitable, it depends on the characteristics of the occurrence of layers.

When layers occur at a depth of 500 to 1000 m and deeper, it is convenient closed way copper mining. This requires vibratory mechanisms, continuous excavation of the rock and its delivery to the surface. The voids formed underground are filled; for this, pipes lined with rubber or basalt resin are used.

It is economically advantageous to locate the mineral processing industry in close proximity to the places of their extraction. It is also necessary to build plants for the disposal of waste after processing. This may help to identify different useful products. For example, the processing of sulfur dioxide makes it possible to obtain useful fertilizers containing sulfur.

Production technologies

The mined ore has a low concentration of copper. To obtain one ton of metal, on average, 200 tons of ore will be needed. To extract it, the modern metallurgical industry uses the following technologies:

hydrometallurgical;
pyrometallurgical;
electrolysis.

The pyrometallurgical method of rock enrichment uses chalcopyrite for processing. This common technology uses two stages of work. The first is oxidative roasting, the so-called flotation. The resulting crude concentrate contains 10–35% pure substance. Then copper is refined and vitriol is added to the solution. As a result, almost one hundred percent purity is isolated.

With the hydrometallurgical method, the metal is leached, then sulfuric acid is added. As a result, a solution is obtained in which copper and various metals are released, which can be precious. This technology is applicable to the production of copper from poor breeds.

For oxidative roasting of minerals with a high sulfur content, the ore is heated to 700-8000 degrees, while the amount of sulfur is halved. It turns out an alloy of sulfides. Side blowing in the convector allows you to get blister copper 91%. For a higher purity of the metal, electrolytic refining takes place, and a 99% composition is obtained.

In industry, this element in its pure form is practically not used. The most famous alloys are:

brass - alloy with zinc;
bronze - with tin;
various babbits - an alloy with lead;
cupronickel - nickel is added to the composition;
duralumin - connection with aluminum;
jewelry alloys, where gold is added in various percentages.

Areas of use

One area of application is the electrical industry. Cables and electrical wires include pure metal strands, which increase their electrical conductivity. Alloys with nickel are suitable for instrument making, compounds with tungsten are filaments in light bulbs.

Brass is used in food and chemical industry. IN agriculture copper is used as a fertilizer. Copper sulfate is known to gardeners; plants are treated with it to protect against diseases and pests.

In construction, such alloys are simply irreplaceable. The roof covering with the patina formed on it has beautiful view and very durable.

The medical industry can't do without it chemical element. Widely used in medicines.

In mechanical engineering, bearings, heat exchangers, and various structural elements of mechanisms are made of bronze. The metal is used in powder metallurgy for the manufacture of friction parts.

world reserves

Copper is a non-ferrous metal that is consumed by many industries. The most profitable ore for production is bornite. This is due to its high content and large deposits in the world's bowels. Rocks containing 0.5–1% of copper are suitable for mining. The most common ores with nickel additives. They make up 90% of all copper-bearing minerals that are economically beneficial for the mining industry.

The largest copper deposits are located in Chile - 34% of all world reserves, which is 140 million tons.

The states with the largest reserves in the world are: the USA - 35 million tons, Indonesia - 35, Peru - 30, Australia - 24, China - 26, Russia - 20.

The global reserves of copper-bearing ores are estimated at 467 million tons. Geologists say that there are about 5 billion tons of deposits of such ore in the world's oceans.

Ore is a resource, the extraction of which within the framework of World games of Warcraft is a must. The ore is used for many purposes, mainly for the construction of buildings and structures in the garrison, because the task of your game character is to constantly strengthen and improve your garrison, ensuring its impregnability for enemies that may appear at any moment. So you can't do without ore mining.

In general, mining is one of the main crafts in WOW. In order to test this craft and, so to speak, "get your hands on it", you should mine ore in an amount sufficient for all the purposes for which it is to be used. IN gaming world ore is mostly not located on flat terrain, it is best to look for it in the mountains, so you need to go to mountain ranges, mountain slopes, all kinds of depressions and gorges and various depressions. Since all game locations are separated from each other by hills, you can make it easier for yourself by flying around the location boundaries along the mountain line.

What ore is found in the game

In the WOW game, there are many of the most different types ores - both corresponding to real ones and fictional ones. Each type of ore is located in a certain place, so before you go looking, read the instructions on where exactly to look, otherwise you will lose a lot of time and will not be able to get the amount of the type of ore you need, which is required for pumping and building works.

Where to look for tin, copper, mithril, gold ore, etc.

The caverns contain Copper Ore, found in Durotar near the Alliance Darkshore Mountain ranges, as well as in the Isle of Azuremyst Caverns, Dun Morogh and Tirisfal Glades, Eversong Woods, and Mulgore. If you need tin ore or silver ore, head to Ashenvale or visit the Hillsbrad Foothills. Gold ore and iron ore found in Feralas at the Cape of Stranglethorn, and in the Plaguelands to the west. If you want to mine it's true silver and mithril ore, the same the best place for this - the territory of the flaming steppes. These types of ores are also found in the Badlands and Felwood. Thorium ore deposits are found most commonly on Silithus. You can go to Winterspring, or you can visit the Blasted Lands, which are also rich in thorium ore.

In Hellfire Peninsula you will find good deposits fel iron ores. For search adamantite ore you should go to Nagrand, where there is quite a lot of it. Cobalt ore is found in large quantities in the Howling Fjord, as well as in Zul "Drak. As for saronite ore, then follow her to Sholazar Lowlands. You will surely stumble upon rich deposits obsidian ore, if you visit Hyjal, and in the Underdark, which is located in the Twilight Highlands, you can quickly find elementium ore. And the last: ghost iron ore located in the Jade Forest. Now you know where and what kind of ore can be found in sufficient quantities, and besides, you can save time and effort. Rich booty to you!

The most common copper ore on our planet is bornite. But besides it, copper is also mined from other ores, which we will discuss in the framework of this article.

1

By this ore is meant accumulations of minerals in which copper is present in such quantities that are considered suitable for processing it for industrial purposes. The generally accepted indicator of the reasonableness of the development of a deposit is considered to be the situation when copper accumulations in it are at least 0.5–1%.

At the same time, about 90% of the reserves of this metal on earth are found in ores containing not only copper, but also other metals (for example, nickel).

Large-scale copper mining in Russia is carried out in Eastern Siberia, in the Urals and Kola Peninsula. The largest deposits of this metal are present in Chile (according to experts - about 190 million tons). Other countries involved in the development of such ores include the USA, Zambia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Canada, Zaire, Armenia, Congo, Peru, Uzbekistan. IN total, on the planet, the total reserve of copper in explored deposits is approximately 680 million tons.

All copper deposits are usually divided into six genetic groups and nine industrial geological types:

stratiform group (copper shales and sandstones);
pyrite (native copper, vein and copper-pyrite type);
hydrothermal (porphyry copper ores);
magmatic (copper-nickel ore);
skarn;
carbonate (iron-copper and carbonatite type).

In our country, the main copper mining is carried out on cuprous shale and sandstone, from copper pyrite, copper-nickel and copper-porphyry ore.

2

In nature, copper is rarely found in its native form. Most often, it "hides" in various compounds. The most famous of them are the following:

3

Other copper minerals are much less common, among which are the following:

4

This metal, whose characteristics (for example, high) led to its wide demand) is obtained from the minerals and ores described by us in three ways - hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical and electrolysis. The most common is the pyrometallurgical technology, which uses the mineral chalcopyrite as a feedstock. General scheme The pyrometallurgical process includes several operations. The first of these is the enrichment of copper ore by oxidative roasting or flotation.

The flotation method is based on the difference in wettable waste rock and copper containing particles. Due to this, some mineral elements adhere (selectively) to air bubbles and are transported by them to the surface. Such a simple technology makes it possible to obtain a powdered concentrate, in which the copper content varies from 10 to 35 percent.

Oxidative roasting (do not confuse it with) is more often used when the initial raw material contains sulfur in large quantities. In this case, the ore is heated to a temperature of 700–800 degrees, which leads to the oxidation of sulfides and a decrease in the sulfur content by 2 times. After that, melting is performed for matte (an alloy with iron and copper sulfides obtained in reverberatory or shaft furnaces) at a temperature of 1450 degrees.

Copper matte, which is obtained after all these operations, is blown in horizontal converters without supplying additional fuel ( chemical reactions provide the necessary heat for the process) with side blast for the oxidation of iron and sulfides. The resulting sulfur is converted into SO2, and oxides into slag.

As a result, the so-called black copper comes out of the converter, in which the metal content is approximately 91%. Subsequently, it is subjected to cleaning using fire refining (removal of unnecessary impurities) and an acidified solution of vitriol (copper). Such cleaning is called electrolytic, after which the copper content reaches 99.9%.

With the hydrometallurgical method of producing copper, it is obtained by leaching the metal with sulfuric acid (a very weak solution) and separating copper and other precious metals from the resulting solution. This technique is recommended for working with low-grade ores.

Copper is a ductile metal of a golden-pink color, which in its pure form is found in nature more often than nuggets of gold or silver. But mostly copper is mined from copper ores - natural mineral formations. Most copper is found in sulfide ores. In oxidation zones, copper is found in most silicates, carbonates, and oxides. Copper is also found in sedimentary rocks: shales and cuprous sandstones.

Modern science knows more than 200 minerals containing copper. In industry, metal extracted from sulfates is most often used, including:

Chalcosine (79% copper);
Bornite (up to 65%);
Chalcopyrite, or copper pyrites (about 35%).

Copper is also found in copper-nickel compounds. The most famous of them is cubanite (up to 45% copper). Of the oxidized ores, it is worth noting cuprite (88%), malachite (up to 58%), azurite (up to 56%). Sometimes there are deposits of native copper.

Characteristics and types of copper

Copper is one of the first metals to be used by man. The chemical symbol is Cu (cuprum). This metal has high thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity. Copper melts at low temperatures, perfectly solderable, the metal is easy to cut and process.

Some copper compounds can be toxic to humans. Elevated levels of copper in water and food can cause diseases of the liver and gallbladder. Quarries left after copper mining become sources of toxins. For example, Lake Berkeley Pit, formed in the crater of a former copper mine, is considered the most toxic lake in the world. But, the bactericidal properties of copper are disproportionately higher. It has been proven that copper helps fight influenza viruses, destroys staphylococci.

Pure copper is rarely used in industry. Alloys found more use:

Brass (an alloy of copper and zinc);
Bronze (with tin);
Babbits (with lead);
Melchior (with nickel);
Dural (with aluminum);
Jewelry alloy (with gold).

Deposits and mining of copper

Most large deposit copper in the world is located in Chile - this is the Esconida quarry. Huge deposits of native copper have been discovered here.

Other major deposits:

Mines on the Kivino Peninsula (USA, Michigan);
Mine "Chukikamata" in Chile (up to 600 thousand tons per year);
Mine "Korokoro" Bolivia;
Gumishevsky mine ( Middle Ural, Russia) - now exhausted;
Valley of the Levikha River (Middle Urals, Russia);
Massive gabbro (Italy).

According to the US Geological Survey, the largest copper deposits belong to Chile. This is followed by the USA, Russia, Peru and Mexico.

Copper mining methods:

Open;
Hydrometallurgical - when copper is leached from the rock with a weak solution of sulfuric acid;
Pyrometallurgical - consists of several stages (enrichment, roasting, melting to matte, blowing and refining).

Careful attitude to copper ores

Copper ores are non-renewable resources, and therefore their development requires careful treatment, both in mining methods and in industrial processing.

More and more industry is becoming demanding of constant volumes of resources received, which leads to their gradual depletion. This requires more careful control of the extraction of copper ores, along with other non-renewable resources such as oil, natural gas, more carefully and more rationally applies to use, both in industrial and domestic consumption.

The use of copper

Copper is one of the most important non-ferrous metals, which has found application in almost all spheres of human life.

Electrical industry (wires, wire);
Mechanical engineering (starter, power windows, radiators, coolers, bearings);
Shipbuilding (hull cladding);
Construction (pipes, pipelines, roofing and cladding materials, bathtubs, faucets, sinks);
In art ( Jewelry, statues, coinage);
household (air conditioners, microwaves, coins, nutritional supplements, musical instruments).

Interestingly, the Statue of Liberty is made of copper. It took about 80 tons of metal for its construction. And in Nepal, copper is considered a sacred metal.

The first profession I started earning gold in WoW was mining. When I asked my senior comrades what kind of craft to do, then, as a beginner, I was advised to take mining professions, since others did not bring such income (which was a controversial statement), and for a beginner who pumps the first character, they are a great help to strengthen the material position (which was true).

Important : This guide has been updated for patch 8.0.1 (current version of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth). But for those who download mining on the official WoW classic servers, it will also be useful. Locations and places where you can find this or that ore have not changed, so you can use the maps without problems.

Yes, indeed, if you quest and spend most of your time in locations, then one way or another you come across flowers and ore veins, but an animal that you can skin even more so. Now there is another reason why it makes sense for a new character to engage in mining - they give experience for him, that is, by pounding with a pickaxe you are pumped.

Miners provide raw materials for many manufacturing professions. The metals smelted by miners are used by engineers and blacksmiths, while the ore is sieved by jewelers. If you choose mining, you will definitely not be left without income, the demand for ore of all levels is constant. The disadvantages of this profession are that it is a farmer by definition and in order to earn money you have to spend a lot of time. Therefore, many players, after reaching the level cap, reset mining and change professions.

The leveling of mining is carried out by two methods that can be used both together and separately - ore mining and metal smelting. Both add points, so unlike herbalism or skinning, you can upgrade mining without leaving the city, simply by buying ore and smelting it into metal ingots. True, only up to level 525.

Mining is not one of the professions that developers often changed, but a few points are worth noting:

in addition Cataclysm for digging ore began to give experience;
In addition, Mists of Pandaria introduced the ability to mine any ore, regardless of skill level. In this case, the amount of ore mined depends on what its level is. Therefore, it is still recommended to download the skill in the old fashioned way, so as not to lose in the amount of raw materials produced.
The Warlords of Draenor expansion dealt a critical blow to mining (and herbalism too). Each garrison had its own mine, in which a character without the mining skill could extract ore for his needs. Additional ore could be obtained by placing orders with followers. In addition, there is no need to melt ingots. Blacksmiths and engineers began to make items directly from the ore. Finally, jewelers stopped sifting ore for raw precious stones. In short, the value of the skill has dropped significantly.
in the addition of Legion, everything returned to normal. There were no mines in the strongholds, and the ore will again be useful for jewelers to obtain precious stones.

One of the innovations of the Battle for Azeroth expansion, which seriously affects leveling, is that the skill is now divided into tiers. Each tier corresponds to an addition. The most important thing is that the ranges are independent of each other. If you want to level up your Mining skill in Northrend, then you don't have to run around the Old World and Outland digging for ore. You just find a teacher in Northrend, learn from him and pump the skill. The tier distribution is shown below. In general, we can say that this did not particularly affect the pumping routes. The total number of skill points is now 950.

1-300 - mining
1-75 - Outland Mining
1-75 - Northrend Mining
1-75 - cataclysmic mining
1-75 - Pandarian Mining
1-100 - Draenic Mining
1-100 - Mining Legion
1-150 - Kul Tiran / Zuldazar Mining

Check out this video for more updates on professions in Battle for Azeroth

Thus, now (patch 8.0.1) there are several ways to upgrade the mining skill:

if you are not interested in the amount of ore mined, then you do not need to follow the recommended sequence of locations. In doing so, remember the following important point. If you have not learned the mining skill for a certain shooting range, then in some cases it will not be pumped. Let's say the Legion Mining skill is unlocked after you hit an ore for the first time in the Broken Isles. Whereas for Outland ores, such a mechanism does not work. Yes, you can mine ore, but you won't get any points for it. Perhaps this is a bug that will be fixed, but for now it's better to fly to the mining teacher first and learn the skill, and then dig the ore.
if the amount of ore is important to you, then the order of passing through the locations must be observed. In other words, pumping is the old fashioned way.
the skill can still be upgraded by smelting ore, though not for all tiers either. Let's say there is no smelting in Draenic and Legion mining. You can only smelt into ingots up to Pandarian ores. That is, you can pump a skill for the shooting ranges of the classic game, Outland, Northrend, Cataclysm and Pandaria without leaving the city. For the tiers of Draenor mining and beyond, you need to go out into the field and beat on the ore veins.

Yes, now the skill can be upgraded without being tied to specific zones, but you will receive significantly less ore, so in principle it is recommended to stick to a certain order of zones.

Before moving on to specific routes and leveling algorithm, information on what ore veins and metals are in Azeroth.

Ores of Azeroth, Draenor and Outland

Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms
Copper core
tin vein
Bronze (only smelting, copper and tin)
Silver vein
iron vein
Goldmine
Steel (only smelting, iron and coal)
mithril deposit
True Silver Deposit
Dark iron deposit
Small Thorium Vein
Rich Thorium Vein

Outland (The Burning Crusade)
Fel Iron Deposit
Adamantite deposit
Fel Iron (smelting only)
Rich adamantite deposit
Khorium Vein

Northrend (Wrath of the Lich King)
Cobalt deposit
Rich cobalt deposit
Saronite deposit
Rich deposit of saronite
Titanium deposit

Ore veins available after Cataclysm
obsidium deposit
Deposit of pure saronite
Rich deposit of obsidium
Elementium Vein
Rich elementium vein
Pyrite deposit
Rich deposit of pyrite

Pandaria (Mists of Pandaria)
Ghost Iron Ore
Rich Ghost Iron Ore
Black and white trillium ore

Draenor (Warlords of Draenor)
Blackrock Ore
True iron ore

Broken Isles (Legion)
Leystone Ore
Felslate

Leveling Mining in Battle for Azeroth

In the Battle for Azeroth add-on, three types of ore were introduced, and not two, as usual:

Monelite ore;
Storm Silver Ore;
Platinum ore;

The first two types are the lowest tier of ores, and platinum, respectively, is more rare and therefore valuable.

As in Legion, this ore can be mined at different rates depending on the skill level of the particular ore. Yes, these are the most notorious stars. Moreover, you can increase the level of skill, as in Legion, by completing quests. By the way, the developers left quests in Battle for Azeroth only for mining and herbalism.

What routes are best to walk in order to find more ore - see the maps below.

Monelite ore

Tiragarde Sound

Stormsong Valley

Drustvar

Nazmir

Vol'dun

Zuldazar

Storm Silver Ore

Tiragarde Sound

Stormsong Valley

Drustvar

Nazmir

Vol'dun

Zuldazar

Platinum ore

Tiragarde Sound

Stormsong Valley

Drustvar

Nazmir

Vol'dun

Zuldazar

Early tier mining upgrade

So, let's begin. Maps are impudently stolen from this resource.

Mining (1-300)

1-60. Copper ore

The first ore we can mine is copper and the metal we can smelt is copper. Found mainly in noob locations 10-20 levels. Below are the optimal routes for various factions and races. Pumping copper ore mining lasts until about skill level 66.

Horde

Durotar