Calculations have been made of the material and calorific balances of the main chemical processes in gradual formation of copper during copper sulphide oxidation in solid and molten conditions. Calculations have proved the necessity of an optimal quantity of sulphide iron to be present in the charge to secure the thermal balance and copper recovery in conditions of suspended converting.

Despite significant advances achieved in the development of methods for selective chlorination and chloride distillation of materials containing nickel, cobalt and copper, iron chlorides remain an indispensable component of both the gas phase and condensate. This indicates the possibility of interaction of chlorine iron gas with oxides of non-ferrous metals in the chlorination zone and with oxygen in the condensation system. As a result of the latter process, iron is converted from gaseous chloride to solid oxide, which improves the selectivity of the condensate, and the released chlorine can be returned to the chloride distillation process.. The present work is devoted to the study of some patterns of these processes.