Metrohm CIC complies for ore- and soil analysis.
This application work describes the determination fluorine in copper sulphide concentrates using the Metrohm Combustion IC system.
This work is also suitable for copper containing ores.
Copper concentrate is the first commercial product of the copper production line and is composed of approximately equal parts of copper, iron and sulphide. Concentrates are the raw material for all copper smelters, which by processing it obtain an impure form of metallic copper, anode or blister copper, which is later used to produce high purity refined copper.
The production of concentrates implies the crushing and later milling of the ore down to a particle size allowing copper to be released by flotation. The concentrates from different regions have approximately between 24% up to 36% of copper. Copper concentrates are then submitted to a final filtration and drying process to decrease the humidity to 8-9%. Fluorine is a deleterious element in the concentrate due to its corrosive nature and the determination of it is of vital importance not only to the analytical laboratory but also to the process metallallurgist and the end buyer.
Due to this penalties have been set by the buyer depending on the amount present.
Current laboratory techniques involve a long cumbersome fusion with a potentiometric ion selective electrode finish. However this method is prone to huge analytical errors. The new combustion IC from Metrohm offers a novel and robust method that is ideal for these types of samples.
This application work provides the reproducibility on a series of fluoride analysis in copper concentrates.
