Ancient metallurgical slags from the Rossen Ore Region – a potential raw material for the production of copper and lanthanides.

Stavrakeva, D., N. Tzankova. 2016. Ancient metallurgical slags from the Rossen Ore Region – a potential raw material for the production of copper and lanthanides. – Geology and mineral resources, 6, 36-40 (in Bulgarian with English abstract).

Abstract. The aim of this paper is to present our results from a chemical and mineralogical study of old metallurgical slags found in the Rossen Ore Field – Propadnala Voda, Korucheshme, and Rossen copper deposits and old metallurgical center Atia. It was found, that the ancient inhabitants of the region produced and refined copper sulfide ore. Due to the imperfect metallurgical process, in the slags is present residual copper with contents, which exceed the current condition for copper production. Forms of binding copper are described: free copper in the forms of drops, matte aggregates, copper, and copper-iron oxides. In all the crystalline and amorphous (slag glass) phases presence of lanthanum, cerium, and phosphorus is determined. They all are associated with the presence of the mineral monazite in the initial raw material. The ancient metallurgical slags from the Rossen Ore Region are potential raw sources for the production of copper and the lanthanides lanthanum and cerium.

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