Copper: Characteristics and Place of Extraction
Copper is a mineral with a pure melting point of 1083 degrees Celsius, making it useful in electrical wiring. Because of its high value, it is often stolen. Australia is a major exporter of copper, making this mineral important for Australia’s economy. This report will cover the following: the identity of what type of resource copper is, the mining technique used to extract it, and what value/importance copper brings to Australia.
Copper is a mineral because it is naturally occurring, solid, inorganic, has a definite chemical composition, and has an ordered internal structure. Copper’s composition is CuFeS2. Copper is often found in the sedimentary layer. This is because the hydrothermal veins created by the high temperature of volcanic magma, allow some heat to escape to the upper mantle, near the earth’s crust. Australia is a major copper producer. The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science states that copper is one of Australia’s top commodity exports, worth around $6 billion each year. Copper has a metallic luster; it is a malleable and ductile metal, making it easy to bend and be made into thin sheets or wires for electrical components. According to the Mohs scale of hardness (how easily a mineral is scratched), copper comes in at a 3.5 on the scale, which is about a soft to medium on the scale. Pure copper will sometimes react with carbon dioxide to form a greenish copper carbonate. Copper’s atomic number is 29, it has an atomic mass of 63.546 u and its chemical symbol is Cu, derived from the Latin word cuprum.
South Australia’s copper production from 1990 – 2013
The most common extraction technique used in Australian copper mines is underground mining, but before the process starts, the site must first be deemed suitable by geologists. To determine the suitability of the mining site, a geological study must first be conducted. To do this, a geologist looks for certain rock types and geological land formations on foot, or from the air using advanced technology based on gravity and magnetism, to find out what’s below the surface. This is then followed by diamond drilling to take samples, which are sent to a lab for assay (the process of testing for mineral ingredients and quality). Other factors that affect the verdict of whether the mine is suitable or not include: what mining technique will be used, how the mine will affect communities in the area, how the mine will affect the environment, and the economic feasibility (that the worth of the ore is more valuable than the cost of extracting it). For the mine to be approved, it also needs preliminary approval, government approval, and an environmental impact statement (EIS) (making sure the mine has minimal effects on land, water, groundwater, air, noise, and economic decline of the area, and community). After final approval, the mine is constructed and mining begins.
In Australia, the most common mining technique used to extract copper is underground mining. Underground mining is used when the ore is deep below the surface. Access to underground mines is through vertical shafts or sloping tunnels, meaning that some large equipment is brought down to the mines in small deconstructed parts and then is reconstructed when in the mine. When the ore is collected, it is transported to the surface via containers and trucks. Many Australian copper mines use a method in which the copper sulphide ore is ground finely before a concentrated flotation process is applied to separate the mineral from the waste material.
Copper is a valuable mineral in all parts of the world, especially in Australia. Australia holds the world’s second-largest economic resource of copper at 13% and the fifth-largest copper production in the world (920 thousand tonnes). This makes Australia a major exporter of copper. The value of copper exports in Australia totaled $8.1 billion in 2012. Copper has a high electrical and thermal conductivity, it is ductile and easily stretched into thin wires and sheets, making it useful for electrical components and equipment, as well as plumbing components, construction materials, and industrial machinery. Copper also holds a lot of historical value for Australia. In the 1850s, exports of copper and lead boosted the Australian economy significantly because it was much more valuable than previous exports of wool and wheat. Copper was also one of Australia’s largest mines in the 19th century.
Conclusion
Overall, copper is a mineral because it is naturally occurring, solid, inorganic, has a definite chemical composition, and has an ordered internal structure. Copper is extracted in Australia from underground mines, as well as holds important economic value in Australia, copper also has historical value for Australia. It is evident from this report that copper is a valuable mineral.
