In the smelting of copper sulfide ores, the primary reaction that takes place is:
Reduction of copper sulfide to copper metal
Oxidation of copper sulfide to copper oxide
Reduction of copper oxide to copper metal
Oxidation of copper metal to copper sulfide
In the smelting of copper sulfide ores, the primary reaction that takes place is the reduction of copper sulfide to copper metal. Copper sulfide ores, such as chalcopyrite , contain copper in the form of a sulfide compound. Smelting is a process in which the ore is heated in a furnace with a reducing agent to extract the desired metal.
During smelting, the copper sulfide ore is heated in a furnace in the presence of a reducing agent, usually coke (carbon), which acts as a source of carbon monoxide . The carbon monoxide acts as a strong reducing agent and reacts with the copper sulfide
to form copper metal
and sulfur dioxide gas
.
The overall reaction can be represented as:
The reduction of copper sulfide to copper metal is the main reaction that occurs during smelting, leading to the production of molten copper, which can be further refined and processed to obtain pure copper.
Therefore, the correct option is (1) Reduction of copper sulfide to copper metal.