Copper sulfide ores are the main source of copper metal in the world today.  The most important mineral, chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂), is characterized by its high sulfur content, which makes pyrometallurgical smelting the dominant extraction process. The core objective of this process is clear and specific: to efficiently remove sulfur and iron impurities through oxidation reactions, ultimately obtaining pure copper.

The first step is smelting, which aims to separate iron and sulfur through oxidation and slag formation, producing the key intermediate product—matte (primarily composed of Cu₂S and FeS).

The second step is converting. The matte is fed into a converter, where air or oxygen-enriched air is blown in, completing the purification in two stages: the first stage oxidizes iron to form slag and remove it; the second stage oxidizes copper sulfide, ultimately yielding high-grade crude copper and again producing sulfur dioxide-rich flue gas.

Crude copper is not the final product. It still needs to undergo fire refining in an anode furnace to further remove trace impurities through oxidation and reduction, and then cast into anode plates. Finally, through electrolytic refining, under the action of direct current, pure copper is deposited at the cathode, yielding cathode copper with a purity exceeding 99.95%, which is the final product. Precious metals and other valuable elements are concentrated in the anode slime for recovery.

In summary, the pyrometallurgical smelting process of copper sulfide ores is mature, has a large processing capacity, and high metal recovery rate. The anode furnace is the last high-temperature process that prepares qualified "raw material plates" for electrolysis, while the electrolytic cell is the core wet-process equipment that uses electric current to achieve the ultimate purification of copper and recover rare elements. These two processes are sequentially connected in copper smelting, jointly ensuring the production of the highest quality cathode copper.