Production by extraction

As the demand for copper is constantly rising, scientists all over the world are looking for new ways to produce the conductive metal. Researchers at MIT have done just that, finding a novel way to selectively separate copper from sulphur-based minerals using molten electrolysis.

This new process is described as one-step, where all previous methods were multi-step. Fundamentally, this means cutting both the time and cost of extraction. If they continue to break ground, this new method could be important on an industrial level in the near future, leading to increased copper yields which will help meet demands worldwide.