METALS & MINERALS
Copper
Copper is easily stretched, molded, and shaped; is resistant to corrosion; and conducts heat and electricity efficiently. As a result, copper was important to early humans and continues to be a material of choice for a variety of domestic, industrial, and high-technology applications today.
Trans Africa Container mining is already one of the largest cobalt producer and now we now are on track to be among leading copper producer in the Globally. Covering an area of over 1,500 square kilometers, our Mines (TFM) in the DRC specializes in exploration, mining, extraction, processing, and sales of copper and cobalt, boasting a complete set of techniques and processes for all stages from mining to processing. It mainly produces copper cathode and cobalt hydroxide. In 2019, 177,956 tonnes of copper and 16,098 tonnes of cobalt were produced.
In 2020, we produced 1.26 million tonnes, and sold 3.4 million tonnes through our marketing business.
We mine and process copper ore in the key mining regions of Africa, and South America. We source and recycle copper scrap in South Africa and Zimbabwe And we smelt and refine copper at smelters and refineries around the world.
Our copper marketing business supplies a range of customers in the automotive, electronics and construction industries.
As a major by-product of copper production, we are one of the world’s largest producers of cobalt, primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Recent highlights:
• Covering a mining concession of over 1,500 square kilometers, TFM is one of the highest grade copper and cobalt mines globally with great prospects for resource exploration and development;
• The integration of the new management revitalizes the business by bringing “Chinese efficiency and Chinese elements”. TFM has been steadily improving its operations through management optimization and technological innovation;
• Benefits from cost and efficiency programs start to show: the total cash cost decreased by US $ 130 million, of which the unit cost of mining was down 29%, the plant unit cost down 7%, and the administrative cost down 11%.
• Advancing steadily, the 10K expansion project is expected to commission in 4Q2020. The project will allow the copper output to increase to more than 200,000 tons after a period of ramping up.
• Copper production in DR Congo 2010-2021 … In 2021, the Democratic Republic of the Congo produced an estimated 1.8 million metric tons of the base metal copper.
Copper mining and production Copper is found in natural ore deposits around the Africa . Here we have a our mines on the production path from ore-bearing rock to the end product, which is the most pure commercial metal there is and which is used in a multitude of applications that are essential for modern life. Copper minerals Copper minerals are found throughout the […]
Copper in figures – 2020
Uses of copper
Copper has a vast range of household and industrial uses.
Its superior electrical conductivity makes it ideal for electronics, such as wiring and computer connections; and its ability to heat up and cool down quickly makes it ideal for heat exchange applications such as air conditioners.
The metal is easily recycled, and also used in renewable energy technologies such as solar cells and electric vehicles – so it has a vital role to play in a sustainable future.
Copper’s antimicrobial properties also help infection control in hospitals and care environments.
Copper Minerals
Copper minerals
Copper minerals are found throughout the D.R.C Congo. They occur both in sedimentary rocks and in igneous rocks. The outer 10 km of the crust contain 33 g of copper for every ton of rock and in some places deposited volcanic activity millions of years ago molten copper concentrated in one place. It is these areas that are mined today because they contain enough copper to make mining profitable. In addition to the valuable copper, there is a lot of pebble (also called gangue), which must be removed.
In nature, copper usually forms in basaltic lavas, either in the form of “copper-red”, shiny metallic nuggets (solidified from the melt) or in branched structures, so-called dendrites. Occasionally, crystalline training can be found. Copper occurs in paragenesis with various, mostly secondary, copper minerals such as bornite, chalcocite, cornwallite, cuprit, azurite and malachite as well as tenorite, but may also be associated with many other minerals such as calcite, clinoclas, prehnite, pumpellyite, quartz and silver.
Copper ores are common. For example, copper is made from chalcopyrite (chalcopyrite, CuFeS2), chalcocite (chalcocite, Cu2S), more rarely from bornite (copper chalcopyrite, Cu5FeS4), atacamite (CuCl2 · Cu (OH) 2), malachite (Cu2 [(OH) 2 | CO3] ) and other ores. In 2019 636 copper minerals were known. The minerals with the highest copper concentration in the compound are cuprite (up to 88,8%) and algodonite (up to 83,6%) as well as paramelaconite, tenorite and chalcocite (up to 79,9%).
copper deposits
Copper is found in the Africa’s crust with a content of about 0,006% and is therefore in relation to the frequency of elements in the Africa’s crust on the 23. Job. Often, copper appears solid, that is, in elemental form. Currently 2019 is well-known for its copperplate copper (3100), including Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Canada, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Zambia, Sweden, Switzerland , Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Also in several rock samples from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as well as from the Moon, which brought the probe of the Luna 24-Mission from Mare Crisium, gedieges copper was detected.
copper minerals
Copper minerals are found throughout the earth’s crust. They occur both in sedimentary rocks and in igneous rocks. The outer 10 km of the crust contain 33 g of copper for every ton of rock and in some places deposited volcanic activity millions of years ago molten copper concentrated in one place. It is these areas that are mined today because they contain enough copper to make mining profitable. In addition to the valuable copper, there is a lot of pebble (also called gangue), which must be removed.
In nature, copper usually forms in basaltic lavas, either in the form of “copper-red”, shiny metallic nuggets (solidified from the melt) or in branched structures, so-called dendrites. Occasionally, crystalline training can be found. Copper occurs in paragenesis with various, mostly secondary, copper minerals such as bornite, chalcocite, cornwallite, cuprit, azurite and malachite as well as tenorite, but may also be associated with many other minerals such as calcite, clinoclas, prehnite, pumpellyite, quartz and silver.
Copper ores are common. For example, copper is made from chalcopyrite (chalcopyrite, CuFeS2), chalcocite (chalcocite, Cu2S), more rarely from bornite (copper chalcopyrite, Cu5FeS4), atacamite (CuCl2 · Cu (OH) 2), malachite (Cu2 [(OH) 2 | CO3] ) and other ores. In 2019 636 copper minerals were known. The minerals with the highest copper concentration in the compound are cuprite (up to 88,8%) and algodonite (up to 83,6%) as well as paramelaconite, tenorite and chalcocite (up to 79,9%).
copper deposits
Copper is found in the earth’s crust with a content of about 0,006% and is therefore in relation to the frequency of elements in the earth’s crust on the 23. Job. Often, copper appears solid, that is, in elemental form. Currently 2019 is well-known for its copperplate copper (3100), including Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Canada, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Zambia, Sweden, Switzerland , Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Also in several rock samples from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as well as from the Moon, which brought the probe of the Luna 24-Mission from Mare Crisium, gedieges copper was detected.
Copper mining
The following is an overview of how copper is extracted from its ore and converted into pure metal.
Natural deposits of solid copper, that is, in its elemental form, were known well before the founding of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). Copper is therefore recognized as a so-called grandfathered mineral, as an independent mineral species.
The most important copper producer is Chile, followed by Peru and the USA by a long way. In Europe, Poland, Portugal and Sweden are noteworthy. The main exporters were organized from 1967 to 1988 at CIPEC. The CIPEC included Chile, Peru and Papua New Guinea, on whose island Bougainville one of the world’s largest copper mines 1988 led to a civil war.
Historically significant were the copper mines on the The DRC still remians one of thhe world’s largest deposit of solid copper. Degradation took place there already in pre-Columbian times. In Germany, copper slate was mined in the Mansfelder Land until 1990, and in Cornwall it is mainly in the 18. and 19. Century given significant copper mining.
Copper assets
Our copper assets range from mines to smelters, refineries and recycling plants.
Kamoto Copper Company DRC
Katanga is a large-scale copper-cobalt operation in the country’s Katanga province, producing copper cathodes and cobalt hydroxide.
Mutanda Mining
Mutanda is a large-scale copper and cobalt producer, also in Katanga province, producing copper cathodes and cobalt hydroxide.
More Uses Of Copper
Ancient Uses of Copper
Copper was probably the first metal used by ancient cultures, and the oldest artefacts made with it date to the Neolithic period. The shiny red-brown metal was used for jewellery, tools, sculpture, bells, vessels, lamps, amulets, and death masks, amongst other things. So important was the metal in human development that it gave its name to the Copper Age, today better known as the Chalcolithic. Copper was necessary to make brass and, of course, bronze, the metal which gave its name to the time period succeeding the Copper Age, besides many other alloys. From Phoenicia to Mesoamerica, copper was a badge of elite status before becoming more widely available. A handy form of exchange in the trade between cultures, eventually, copper symbolic goods were replaced by more manageable ingots which, in turn, evolved into even more convenient coins. Gold and silver may have been common enough for the rich and powerful, but if there was one pure metal that ordinary people in the ancient world could get their hands on, it was copper.
Availability & Mining
Copper was easily found in its metallic state in many areas of the ancient world, albeit in relatively small quantities. The shiny red, orange or brown metal was first used in the Balkans, Middle East, and Near East from 8000 to 3000 BCE. Egypt and Europe later followed suit and began to make their own copper artefacts. Soft and malleable, it was an ideal material to manufacture decorative luxury goods.
Investing In Copper
5 Major Copper Uses
Pure copper is a soft, malleable material that can be molded into a multitude of products. In addition to high corrosion resistance, copper metal has very high thermal conductivity; it also has the second highest electrical conductivity of any metal after silver. These properties make it an ideal material for electrical and electronic products, which represent about three-quarters of the world’s copper consumption.
Copper also forms alloys more freely than most metals, and corrosion-resistant copper alloys are used in many industries, including manufacturing and construction. The red metal is even employed in the medical field to curb the spread of dangerous infections — a use case that is quickly gaining attention.
China is the largest consumer of refined copper and accounted for 54 percent of global copper ore imports in 2020. Industrial nations like Japan, the US, Germany and Spain also rank as significant consumers.
According to the US Geological Survey, the five top copper-producing countries are Chile, Peru, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the US. The island nation of Australia and the continent of Africa are also significant sources of copper ore.
Here the Investing News Network highlights copper uses in five industries driving copper demand.
1. Building construction
Nearly half of all copper supply makes its way into buildings, from homes to businesses. In fact, one home alone can contain on average 439 pounds of copper. Copper’s malleability makes it easy to solder, and yet it’s strong enough to create the bonds and junctions needed in electrical wiring and plumbing.
Copper tubing has a number of applications and can be found in water pipes, refrigeration lines, heat pumps and HVAC systems. And don’t forget the copper wiring for moving electricity throughout the house and linking to telecommunications and cable networks. Home appliances also contain copper tubing and electrical wires.
2. Electronic products
Copper’s supreme electrical conductivity properties and abundance as a raw material make it the most efficient and cost-effective metal for electronic products. The red metal is found in the form of electrical wiring and printed circuit boards in the vast majority of today’s consumer electronic products — from cell phones, laptops and TVs to surveillance systems, power tools and robotic vacuum cleaners.
According to Live Science, many new products that use copper are in the research and development stages, including “soft” electronic tools such as electronic paper and wearable biosensors.
3. Transportation
The use of copper is also highly prevalent in the transportation sector, including in the fabrication of ships, railways, planes and automobiles.
Copper alloys are standard materials in shipbuilding, from bolts and rivets to propellers and condenser pipes. In the railway industry, the metal is used to manufacture many train parts, including motors, brakes and controls, and can also be found in electric and signal systems. Planes need copper for cooling, hydraulics and navigation, plus electrical systems. In the auto industry, copper is an essential component in brakes, bearings, connectors, motors, radiators and wiring. One conventional vehicle alone can contain as much as 50 pounds of copper.
The growing prevalence of electric vehicles (EVs) is another huge market for copper, as the technology relies heavily on the metal. In fact, each EV requires two to four times more copper than a conventional vehicle. EV charging stations also need large amounts of copper. As a result, analysts expect copper consumption from green energy sectors to grow five-fold by 2030 due to the rise of the EV market.
4. Industrial machinery and equipment
The industrial machinery and equipment used in many sectors, such as the petrochemical industry, is itself made with copper. This machinery and equipment includes copper pipe systems, electrical motors, evaporators, condensers, heat exchangers, valves and containers for holding corrosive mediums.
Corrosion-resistant copper alloys are critical materials in the fabrication of undersea installations, such as desalination machinery and offshore oil and gas drilling platforms.
As with the EV industry, copper’s cleantech metal status also stems from its use as a raw material to manufacture windmill turbines and solar energy systems.
5. Medical
Although not as sizeable a market as the above-mentioned sectors, the medical field is another industry that relies on copper. This is due in large part to copper’s antimicrobial properties. Research has shown that bacteria, viruses and yeasts cannot survive for long on a copper surface, as the metal interferes with the electrical charge found in microbial cell membranes. The US Environmental Protection Agency has said a copper surface can kill 99.9 percent of bacteria that lands on it within two hours.
To stop the spread of hospital-acquired infections, plastic and other metals are being replaced with copper or copper alloys on frequently touched surfaces, such as countertops, doorknobs, handrails, bedrails, call buttons, chairs and even pens. As per the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, replacing hospital surfaces with antimicrobial copper fixtures could reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections by at least 58 percent.
Semiconductor manufacturers have also begun using copper for circuitry in silicon chips, which enables microprocessors to operate faster and use less energy. Copper rotors have also recently been found to increase the efficiency of electric motors, which are a major consumer of electric power.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Network in 2021.
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