How is purification of copper metal done?

A secondary school revision resource for OCR GCSE Science about chemical resources and metals and alloys- with higher tier. read more

Copper is mainly extracted from copper pyrites CuFeS2 The ore is concentrated by froth floatation process.Roasting and smelting is done.Bessemerisation is done and thus obtaine copper is blister copper(98% pure). read more

Electrolytic refining. The purest copper is obtained by an electrolytic process, undertaken using a slab of impure copper as the anode and a thin sheet of pure copper as the cathode. The electrolyte is an acidic solution of copper sulphate. By passing electricity through the cell, copper is dissolved from the anode and deposited on the cathode. read more

A rod of pure copper is used as a cathode and the impure copper is an anode. The electrolyte (solution the ions travel through) is a solution of copper (II) sulphate (CUSO 4). During electrolysis, copper (II) ions leave the impure copper anode and since they are positive, they are attracted to the negative cathode. read more