Question

What are the constituents of copper matte?

Answer 1

Answer is - Cu2S + FeS

FeS and Cu2S are missible in molten state. The molten mixture of copper sulphide or Cu2S and iron sulphide or FeS is known as copper matte.

Matte is a term in pyrometallurgy. It refers to the molten metal sulfide phases formed during smelting of base metals like copper and nickel.

Answer 2

Copper matte is formed as a combination of copper sulphide with iron sulphide. Before the final reduction process, copper is extracted from matte and converted to its crude form.

The key composition of copper matte is:

*Copper sulphide – 80 to 95%

*Metallic copper – 5 to 17%

*Pb-Cu alloys

*metallic silver

*Pb-Ag alloys

*galena

*Fe-Co alloys    

*Pb-Ni alloys

*arsenides