Mine → concentrate → smelt → refine
Ore preparation and concentration create an intermediate. Smelting and refining convert it into specified metal. Concentrate availability and refining capacity can move differently.
Test the commercial unitsHome / Supply Chain
SUPPLY CHAIN
From rock to a
specified material.
Understand the transformations before comparing the tonnes.
VALUE-CHAIN EXPLORER
Start with the route.
A simplified learning model. Actual processes depend on mineralogy, facilities, permits and product requirements.
Start with the contained metal.
Ore tonnage alone does not describe copper supply. Grade expresses the copper fraction; recovery describes the portion captured by a chosen process. Mineralogy, sampling and operating conditions determine whether an assumed recovery is plausible.
Follow the complete chainOre1,000,000 t
Average grade0.60% Cu
Contained copper6,000 t Cu
Illustrative examples. Forms, units and specifications are different.PROCESSING ROUTES
Two primary routes.
Many site-specific variations.
Neither diagram is a process design or technology recommendation.
Leach → solution processing → cathode
A suitable leaching route can recover copper into solution before solvent extraction and electrowinning. Suitability and yields require ore-specific technical validation.
Test a recovery scenarioTHE MASS-BALANCE BASIS
Make every denominator explicit.
| Quantity | What it means | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Ore tonnes | Total mined or processed rock on the stated basis. | Contained copper without a representative grade. |
| Contained Cu | Material mass × copper fraction. | Recovery, payable metal or specification compliance. |
| Recovered Cu | Contained copper × process recovery. | Final cathode yield, costs or a sales entitlement. |
| Payable Cu | The contractual quantity used in a price formula. | Gross contained metal or net profit. |
| Refined equivalent | A simplified quantity after an entered final yield. | Exchange-deliverable material or verified product quality. |