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HydroCopper®

Outotec HydroCopper® Process is a method for producing high-quality copper wire rod directly from concentrates in a chloride environment. It is specially designed for chalcopyrite concentrates with unusual amounts of gold and silver.

The product from the HydroCopper® Process is upcast copper rod and ready for further processing. HydroCopper® process consists of copper concentrate leaching, solution purification, and metal recovery by hydrogen reduction. The process is described in detail in the Application section.

Benefits of Outotec HydroCopper® technology

  • Wire rod premiums offer higher revenues than LME A cathode
  • High copper, gold and silver recovery from copper sulfide concentrates
  • Treating of low-grade and impure concentrates is possible
  • Helps to minimize inventories and reduce working capital; takes about one week to process the concentrate into copper
  • Low environmental impact achieved with efficient use of raw materials, chemicals and energy
  • Locating a HydroCopper® plant close to a concentrator brings major savings as it decreases transportation and storage costs
  • Lowered cut-off grade, extending the lifetime of the mine