Copper is a typical sulfur loving element that mainly forms sulfides in nature. Oxides can only be formed under strong oxidation conditions, and natural copper can be formed under reduction conditions. More than 250 types of copper minerals and copper containing minerals have been discovered in the Earth's crust, mainly sulfides and similar compounds, copper oxides, natural copper, and minerals such as copper sulfates, carbonates, and silicates. Among them, there are 16 types that can be used as industrial mineral raw materials under suitable metallurgical conditions. Natural element: natural copper (containing nearly 100% copper); Copper sulfide: chalcopyrite (containing 34.6% copper, with brackets indicating copper content, the same below), bornite (63.3%), chalcopyrite (79.9%), copper blue (66.5%), chalcopyrite (23.4%), tetrahedrite (46.7%), arsenopyrite (52.7%), and chalcopyrite (48.4%); Oxides of copper: hematite (88.8%), chalcopyrite (79.9%); Sulfate, carbonate, and silicate minerals of copper include malachite (57.5%), azurite (55.3%), silicomalachite (36.2%), chalcopyrite (56.2%), and chalcopyrite (59.5%).

The main raw materials for copper mineral selection and smelting in China are chalcopyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, malachite, etc. According to the technical conditions of beneficiation and smelting, copper ore is classified into three natural types in the proportion of copper oxide and copper sulfide. Sulfide ore, containing less than 10% copper oxide; Oxidized ore, containing more than 30% copper oxide; Mixed ore, containing 10% to 30% copper oxide.

Copper mineral raw materials in China have the following characteristics:

1) Copper mineral raw materials suitable for metallurgical production occur in various types of ore deposits. Among them, deposit types with important mining value include magmatic copper nickel sulfide deposits, porphyry copper deposits, skarn copper and polymetallic deposits, hydrothermal vein copper deposits, volcanic sedimentary massive sulfide copper deposits, sedimentary layered deposits, and so on.

2) The structure and structure of the ore are complex, with uneven particle size distribution. Most of the ore is of uneven disseminated particle size, and there are even many mineral combinations and fabrics with fine distribution. The composition is complex, making it difficult to select more ore.

3) The chemical composition of the ore is diverse, accompanied by various beneficial and harmful components, and the processing conditions for beneficiation and smelting are complex. Most of the developed mining areas are comprehensive copper deposits, accompanied by various beneficial and harmful elements. Through comprehensive mining and utilization, harm can be turned into profit and waste can be turned into treasure.