Chalcopyrite CuFeS

FIGURE 16.10 Three important copper ores (from left to right) chalcopyrite, CuFeS, malachite, CuC03-Cu(0H)2 and chalcocite, Cu2S. 

Many sulfide minerals have structures closely related to those of sphalerite and wurtzite. Chalcopyrite, CuFeS, is an example (Fig. 11-21). Its structure 0 is a tetragonal superstructure of sphalerite, with the copper and iron atoms in the zinc positions of sphalerite. 

FIGURE 1 The two structures for chalcopyrite, CuFeS, (a) first structure12 (b) revised structure.2 ... 

Copper s relative abundance in the Earth s crust is about 50 mg/kg (i.e., ppm wt.), which is less than nickel and zinc. It occurs as a native element (4%), but the major part of its occurrence is as oxides minerals (10%) such as cuprite [Cu O, cubic] carbonates (5%) malachite [CuC03.Cu(OH)j, monoclinic] and azurite [2CuC03.Cu(0H)j, monoclinic] sulfide minerals (80%) chalcocite [Cu S, monoclinic], chalcopyrite [CuFeS, tetragonal], and bornite [CUjFeS, cubic] and in other rare minerals (1%) such as atacamite [CUjC OH), orthorhombic]. But only the oxide and sulfide minerals are used industrially as copper ores. Chile is the world s largest producer of copper, followed by the United States. 

Most important mineral Chalcopyrite CuFeS (Figure M6)... 

Chalcopyrite, CuFeS, is an important source of copper. A typical chalco-pyrite ore contains about 0.75% Cu. What volume of sulfur dioxide at 25°C and 1.00 atm pressure is produced when one boxcar load (4.00 X 10 fH) of chalcopyrite ore (d = 2.6 g/cm ) is roasted Assume all the sulfur in the ore is converted to SO2 and no other source of sulfur is present. 

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