Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate Supplier South Africa

What Is Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate?

Copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO₄·5H₂O) is the most common and commercially important copper salt — a blue crystalline solid that is highly soluble in water. It is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals across mining and mineral processing, agriculture, water treatment, electroplating, and chemical manufacturing. In mineral processing it is the definitive activator for sphalerite (ZnS) in lead-zinc flotation, and is used to activate pyrite in circuits where pyrite flotation is desired. It is also used in copper heap leach and SX-EW operations as an electrolyte additive.

Sphalerite Activation in Lead-Zinc Flotation

Sphalerite (ZnS, zinc sulphide) is naturally only weakly activated toward xanthate collectors in most flotation pH ranges. The standard activation method is to add copper sulphate to the flotation conditioning stage, where Cu²⁺ ion exchanges with Zn²⁺ on the sphalerite surface to create an activated copper sulphide surface layer [Cu·ZnS] that responds strongly to xanthate and DTP collectors. This copper activation step is essential in all lead-zinc selective flotation circuits — typically the lead flotation stage operates first with pyrite and sphalerite depressed, then copper sulphate activation enables zinc flotation in the subsequent zinc circuit. Dosage is typically 100–1000 g/t CuSO₄ depending on sphalerite grade and mineralogy.

Agricultural and Other Applications

Agricultural grade copper sulphate pentahydrate is a long-established fungicide (as Bordeaux mixture with lime) and soil micronutrient (copper deficiency correction). In water treatment it is used as an algicide in reservoirs and irrigation systems. In electroplating it is the standard copper electrolyte for copper plating baths. Terracore Chemicals supplies copper sulphate pentahydrate in agricultural, technical, and electroplating grades across Southern Africa.