IC 8225 - State of Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral ...

CHAPTER 7.-STRUCTUREOF THE INDUSTRYUNITED STATES COPPFB INDUSTRYThe primary copper industry of the UnitedStates is composed of approximately 200 firmsengaged in producing and selling copper. Themajor producers are vertically integrated andhave mining, smelting, refining, fabricating, andm*ketinf interests. Other large producersmine an have processing facilities throughthe smelting or refining stages, and manycompanies mine and concentrate their ores andshi the product to custom lants for smeltingan8 refining. The principa f operations of theindustry in the United States are shown intable 68.Location and DescriptionThe copper producing areas are principallyin the Western States. Arizona, in recentyears, has led all other States in productiona wide margin. In 1962, Arizona suppliedbl' a most 52 percent of the US. total, and Utahwas second with 18 percentfollowed indescending order by Montana, New Mexico,Nevada, and Michigan. Arizona output comesfrom several important mines, whereas that ofUtah comes from only one mine, the largestproducer in the United States. Approximately2 percent of the 1962 output was produced ineastern United States by three mines-oneeach in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, andTennessee.With the major copper mines centered in theWestern States, most of the smelting capacityis in that area. There is some capac~ty inMichigan for the mines there, some on the eastcoast for eytern production and imports, andone smelter in Tennessee. Of the total annualsmelting capacity of 8,847,000 tons, 8,165,000tons is in the Western States, 515,000 tons ison the east wast and in Tennessee, and 167,000tons is in Michigan.Total refining capacity in the United States,electrolytic and fire-refined, amounted to2,334,500 tons in 1962. The greater part ofelectrolytic refining capacity is on the Atlanticseaboard in New York, New Jersey, and Maryland.Low-cost power (so important to electrolyticrefining), large nearby markets, and oceantransportation have combined to produce thisconcentration. Of a total electrolytic capacityof 1,963,500 tons, 1,129,000 is on the east wast,792,000 tons is in the Western States, and 42,500tons is in St. Louis, Mo. Fire refining capacityof 357,000 tons is in Michigan, Carteret, N.J.,Hurley, N. Mex., and El Paso, Texas.Mining.-In the United States, 360 minesproduced cop er in 1962. Copper ore was theprincipal pro a uct of 196 mines, and the othe~,mostly lead and zinc mines, produced w per asa byproduct or coproduct. The 25 ? argestmines accounted for 97 percent of the totaldomestic output; the top 5 mines rodnced 48percent; and the leading 10 mines fnished 74percent. Table 69 lists the 25 mines in orderof 1962 output, and 'the principal producingcompanies mth their 1962 production are givenin table 70.Smelting.-The primary copper-smelting companies,the locations of their smelters, and theapproximate capacit of each plant (tons ofcharge) in 1962 are sxown in Table 71.Refining.-The p+nary copper refining, companiesand the location, type, and capaclty ofeach refkery are shown in Table 72.Fabrication.-Fabricators are the principalcustomers of the primary copper producers. Itis in the fabricating plants that the bulk of thenew copper is put into semifinished forms ofsheet, strip, rod, tube, wire, and extruded androlled shapes that constitute the raw matefialsfor a vast industry of manufacturers of articlesfor final consumption or of parts for the productsof other industries.About 35 companies in the United States arerecognized as the important fabricators andusers of raw copper, the latter being, for themost part, the primary brass mills and wiremills. The larger fabricators, representmgmore than 50 percent of the total volume ofbusiness, are affiliated with the major copperproducers, who thus have facilities for processingores from the mines to the finished copperand brass products. Lista of amated andindependent copper fabricating companies andassociated producers are ven on page 258.Secondary Copper.--0 ? d scrap is collectedby several hundred scrap dealers who sell tosecondary smelters, primary smelters, and brassmills. Secondary copper smelters use cheflyold copper-alloy scrap and make copper-alloyingot; the metals remain in alloy form throughoutthe process. The ingot is used mostly byfoundries. The various grades of copper scrapaud copper-day scrap ordinarily sell at prlcesbelow the value of the constituent metals.253