Kinetics of oxidation of sulfide minerals

Roasting of sulfide ores prior to their reduction to metal has been performed by man since before the Christian Era. It was not until around 1550 A.D., however, that roasting became common practice, when copper ores were roasted prior to smelting. Today roasting comprises a fundamental operation in the metallurgy of most of the common metals, including: copper, zinc, lead, nickel, mercury, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, molybdenum and iron.