Removal of radioactive impurities from a copper ore or copper concentrate during or after smelting

摘要

A process for the removal of one or more radioactive impurities from a copper bearing copper containing material having a radioactivity greater than a predetermined level, including: (a) forming a melt from the copper containing material, (b) treating the molten copper containing material under conditions sufficient to substantially volatilise and separate the impurities from the molten copper containing material, and (c) producing a copper product from the molten copper containing material.