Question

The metallurgy of copper involves ______.

Options

• self-reduction process

• carbon reduction process

• elecrolytic reduction process

• hydrometallurgical process

Answer 1

The metallurgy of copper involves self-reduction process.

Explanation:

The extraction of copper from its sulphide ore (like copper pyrites, CuFeS2) involves a process where copper sulphide is partially converted to copper metal without using any external reducing agent. In this method, some of the sulphide ore is oxidised to SO₂, and the rest is reduced by the formed SO₂; this is called self-reduction or auto-reduction.