Heavy Metals- Copper

Heavy metals
The metals having relatively high density i.e. greater than 5 gm/cc are called heavy metals.
These are iron, copper, silver, gold, mercury, lead, zinc, iridium.

Copper
Ores of copper

1. Copperpyrite or chalcopyrite: CuFeS2

2. Copper glance: Cu2S
3. Cuprite: Cu2O
4. Malachite: CuCO3.Cu(OH)2
5. Azurite: 2CuCO3.Cu(OH)2

Extraction of copper from copper pyrite

1. Crushing and pulverization

Big lumps of ores are crushed using jaw crushers to get crushed ore which is pulverized
using a pulverizer or stamp mill to get powdered ore.

2. Concentration by froth floatation process

The powdered ore is taken in a tank containing water and a small amount of pine oil. The
mixture is heated by the blast of air. Impurities are wetted by water and get collected at the
bottom of the tank. Ore particles are wetted by oil and come to the surface as froth. The
froth is skimmed off to collect concentrated ore.

Fig: Froth- otation process

3. Roasting

The concentrated ore is heated in a reverberatory furnace in presence of air. Following

changes takes place.

Volatile impurities Like Sulphur, phosphorous and arsenic (S,P,As) and moistures are
 removed as oxide..

2S +O2 → 2SO2
4P + 5O2 → 2P2O5
4As + 3O2 → 2As2O3
Copper pyrite is decomposed into cuprous sulphide and ferrous sulphide.
2CuFeS2 → Cu2S + 2FeS + SO2
Cuprous sulphide and ferrous sulphide are oxidized.
2Cu2S + 3O2 → 2Cu2O + 2SO2
2FeS + 3O2 → 2FeO + 2SO2

Fig: Reverberatory furnace

4. Smelting

Roasted ore is mixed with sand and coke and heated in a blast furnace about 15-20 feet in
height and 6 feet in diameter. It is made of steel sheet lined with re bricks. A blast of air
enters from the lower part.
Following changes takes place
1. Unreacted FeS gets oxidized to FeO.
2FeS + 3O2 → 2FeO + 2SO2
2. Cu2O formed by oxidation of Cu2S reacts with FeS to form Cu2S.
2Cu2S + 3O2 → 2Cu2O + 2SO2
Cu2O + FeS → Cu2S + FeO
3. FeO is converted into slag by the action of sand.
FeO + SiO2( ux) → FeSiO3(slag)
Slag being light and molten is removed from the upper layer. At the hearth of the furnace,
molten mass is obtained containing about 50% of copper known as copper matte. It consists
of a mixture of sulphide of copper and iron.
 Fig: Blast furnace

5. Bessemerization

Metallic copper is recovered from copper matte by bessemerization process carried in

Bessemer converter. The blast of hot air is passed through tuyers. Air is blown through
molten matte.

Fig: Bessemer converter

Following changes takes place during bessemerization:

1. Ferrous sulphide left is oxidized to ferrous oxide, which reacts with silica to give slag.
2FeS + 3O2 → 2FeO + 2SO2
FeO + SiO2 → FeSiO3
Slag is removed from top of molten mass. SO2 escapes out as waste gas.

2. Cu2S gets oxidized to Cu2O. Cu2O formed reacts with remaining Cu2S to give free
copper metal.

2Cu2S + 3O2 2Cu2O + 2SO2

Cu2S + 2Cu2O 6Cu + SO2
Copper metal thus obtained is allowed to cool, dissolved SO2 escapes out forming
large blisters on the surface of metal known as blister copper which contains 98% pure
copper.

6. Purification or refining

Blister copper is purified mainly by two methods.

1. Poling: Blister copper is stirred with pole of green wood. The hydrocarbon present in
the green wood reduces Cu2O into metallic copper.
Cu2O + C(from green wood) → 2Cu +CO
Copper obtained after poling is called tough cake copper which is 99% pure.
2. Electro refining: Copper thus obtained may still contains impurities like Ag, Au, Ni, Zn,
etc. which can be puri ed further by electrolysis. The impure copper is taken as anode
and thin sheet of pure copper is taken as cathode in a large tank. Acidi ed CuSO4
solution is taken as an electrolyte. On electrolysis, anode dissolves and deposited as
pure copper in cathode. The impurities are left behind near anode as anode mud.

CuSO4 (aq) ⇌ Cu++ + SO4−−

At anode : Cu(s) → Cu++ + 2e−

Impure

At cathode : Cu++ + 2e− → Cu

Pure

This copper is 99.5% pure.

 g: Electrolytic cell for puri cation of copper

Physical properties

1. It has characteristics red colour.

2. It is good conductor of heat and electricity.
3. It is highly malleable and ductile.
4. It melts at 1083°C and boils at 2567°C.

Chemical properties

1. Action of air: Copper on exposure to air in presence of carbon dioxide is slowly converted
into green basic carbonate.

2Cu + CO2 + H2O + O2 → CuCO3 .Cu(OH)2

Basic copper
carbonate(Green)

When copper is heated with air below 1100°C, black oxide of copper is formed.

below 1100°C
2Cu + O2 2CuO
Cupric oxide
(black)

When copper is heated with air above 1100°C, red oxide of copper is formed.

above 1100°C
2Cu + O2 2Cu2O
Cuprous oxide
(red)
2. Action with acids: Copper lies below hydrogen in the electrochemical series and does not
displace hydrogen from dilute acids.
1. Action with H2SO4: It reacts with dilute H2SO4 in presence of air.
2Cu + 2H2SO4 + O2 → 2CuSO4 + 2H2O

But hot and conc. H2SO4 gives SO2.

Cu + 2H2SO4(conc.) → CuSO4 + SO2 + 2H2O
2. Action with HCl: It reacts with dil.HCl in presence of air to give CuCl2.
2Cu + 2HCl + O2 → 2CuCl2 + H2O

When HCl gas is passed over heated copper, Cu2Cl2 is formed.

2Cu + 2HCl → Cu2Cl2 + H2

heated gas

3. Action with HNO3: Copper dissolve in different concentration of nitric acid.

Cu + 4HNO3(conc.) → Cu(NO3)2 + 2NO2 + 2H2O
3Cu + 8HNO3(dil.) → 3Cu(NO3)2 + 2NO + 4H2O
3. Action with aqueous ammonia
When copper is reacted with aqueous ammonia in presence of oxygen, a complex compound
is formed.
2Cu + 8NH3 + 2H2O + O2 → [Cu(NH3)4](OH)2

4. Action with metal ion (Displacement reaction): Copper displaces less electropositive
metals like Ag from their water-soluble salt.
Cu + 2AgNO3 → Cu(NO3)2 + 2Ag

Uses of copper

It is used for making utensils, containers, electrical wires, kettle, coins, etc.
It is used in electroplating and electrotyping.
It forms a number of alloys.
Brass(Cu+Zn), Bronze(Cu+Sn), German silver(Cu+Zn+Ni), etc.

Compounds of copper
1. Blue Vitriol (CuSO4.5H2O)
Preparation:
i. From CuO, CuCO3 or Cu(OH)2 with dil. H2SO4

CuO + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + H2

CuCO3 + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + H2O + CO2
Cu(OH)2 + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + 2H2 O
crystallization
CuSO4 (aq) CuSO4 .5H2O
ii. From Cu with conc. H2SO4
Cu + 2H2SO4 → CuSO4 + 2H2O + SO2

Physical properties

It is a blue crystalline solid.

It is soluble in water.

Chemical properties

1. Action of heat

2. Action with NaOH

CuSO4 + 2NaOH → Cu(OH)2 + Na2SO4

3. Action with ammonia solution

CuSO4 + 4NH4 OH → [Cu(NH3)4]SO4 + 4H2O
T etramine copper sulphate
Deep blue colour

4. Action with KI

CuSO4 + 2KI → K2SO4 + CuI2

2CuI2 → Cu2I2 + I2
5. Displacement reaction

Zn + CuSO4 → ZnSO4 + Cu
Fe + CuSO4 → FeSO4 + Cu

Uses

1. Used as fungicide and germicide.

2. Used in electrolysis.
3. Used in preservative of wood, gum, etc.
2. Black oxide of copper (CuO : cupric oxide)
Uses

1. Used for colouring glass in black or blue colour.

2. Used to estimate carbon and hydrogen in organic compounds.
3. It is used to remove sulphur from petrol.
4. It is used as an oxidizing agent.

3. Red oxide of copper (Cu2O : cuprous oxide)

Uses

1. Used for preparation of ruby red glass.

2. Used to prepare antirust paint.
3. It is used as pesticides.