Monash University Discovers Cleaner Copper

A common mineral that accounts for around 70 per cent of the world’s copper supply could hold the key to making copper production cleaner and more efficient, according to new research from Monash University.

In a study published in Nature Geoscience, researchers from Monash’s School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment describe why chalcopyrite – the primary source of the world’s copper – has remained so difficult to process, and how its hidden chemistry could be harnessed for more sustainable extraction methods.

The findings arrive as global demand for copper is expected to rise sharply to support renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and modern infrastructure.

A 300-Year-Old Problem

Despite being known for more than three centuries, chalcopyrite continues to resist low-temperature leaching, slowing efforts to extract copper from lower-grade ores. That inefficiency has become a significant bottleneck as pressure mounts to secure copper supplies for the energy transition.

Professor Joel Brugger, Study Lead from the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, described the core challenge.

“Chalcopyrite is the world’s primary copper mineral, but it behaves in surprisingly complex ways that have limited how efficiently we can extract copper from it,” Brugger stated.

The mineral’s crystal structure, long thought to be relatively straightforward, turns out to be riddled with microscopic defects and trace elements such as silver, gold and nickel. These subtle variations control how the mineral reacts during processing and ultimately how much copper can be recovered.

Silver As A Catalyst

The research team found that trace amounts of silver can significantly improve copper extraction by destabilising chalcopyrite’s surface and triggering a cycle that releases copper more efficiently.

Dr Barbara Etschmann, Co-Author of the study, pointed to the practical implications of the discovery.

“By understanding how trace elements like silver interact with chalcopyrite at the atomic level, we can begin to design smarter, more targeted extraction methods,” Etschmann explained.

“That means less energy, fewer chemicals and better recovery from the same resource.”

The finding suggests that rather than treating chalcopyrite’s complexity as a barrier, it could be turned into an advantage by tailoring processing methods to the mineral’s actual chemistry.

Implications Beyond Mining

The research has applications that extend beyond the mining sector. Chalcopyrite’s atomic structure underpins a family of semiconductors used in solar cells, photodetectors and energy conversion devices, creating a direct link between geology and clean technology.

As the world moves to decarbonise, the pressure on existing copper resources and processing methods is set to intensify. The study argues that meeting future demand will require a shift in approach.

“Meeting future copper demand isn’t just about finding more deposits,” Brugger noted. “It’s about extracting what we already have more intelligently. Chalcopyrite sits at the centre of that challenge, and the solution.”

Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Needed

The Monash team highlights the need for collaboration across Earth sciences, chemistry and engineering to rethink how critical minerals are processed in a low-carbon economy.

Current extraction methods were largely designed for higher-grade ores and rely on energy-intensive processes. As ore grades decline globally, the ability to recover copper efficiently from lower-grade sources using less energy and fewer chemicals becomes increasingly important.

The research positions chalcopyrite not just as a scientific curiosity but as a strategic resource whose underlying chemistry, once properly understood, could help reduce the environmental cost of copper production while meeting the demands of the energy transition.

Last Updated on April 15, 2026 by Nick Ross