I-boom yokugcina ekusungulweni kwezobuchwepheshe kweimboni yethusikwenzeka emashumini amabili eminyaka okuqala aleli khulu leminyaka, lapho ukumbiwa komgodi ovulekile, ukugxiliswa kwe-flotation, kanye ne-reverberator smelter kwashintshwa ukuze kusetshenziswe amatshe ethusi e-porphyry.

Ngaphandle kwe-leaching-solvent extrac tion-electrowinning, izindlela eziyisisekelo zephoyisa ngokukhiqiza ngakunye zihlala zingashintshile iminyaka engama-65. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimayini eziyisithupha zavulwa phakathi kuka-1900 no-1920 zisephakathi kwabakhiqizi abakhulu bethusi e-United States namuhla.

Esikhundleni sokuya phambili okukhulu, ukusungulwa okusha kwezobuchwepheshe embonini yethusi eminyakeni engama-65 edlule kuye kwahlanganisa kakhulu izinguquko ezikhulayo ezivumele izinkampani ukuba zixhaphaze ama-ores asezingeni eliphansi futhi zinciphise njalo izindleko zokukhiqiza. Umnotho wezinga ube ngokoqobo

ized kuzo zonke izigaba zokukhiqiza ithusi. Kokubili i-machine kanye nokukhiqiza kwabantu kuye kwanda kakhulu.

Lesi sahluko sichaza kafushane ubuchwepheshe bokukhiqiza ithusi, kusukela ekuhloleni, ngokusebenzisa izimayini nokugaya, ukuya ekuncibilikiseni nokucwengisiswa noma ukukhishwa kwe-solvent kanye ne-electrowinning. Isahluko siqala ngesifinyezo somlando wamaphoyisa ngokuthuthukiswa kobuchwepheshe. Bese, ngayinye

isigaba sokukhiqiza ithusi, ibuyekeza isimo samanje esiqashiwe, ihlonza intuthuko yakamuva yobuchwepheshe, ibuyekeza intuthuko engenzeka yesikhathi esizayo kanye nezidingo zocwaningo nentuthuko, futhi ixoxa ngokubaluleka kokuthuthuka okuqhubekayo ekuqhudelaneni kwemboni yase-US. Umfanekiso 6-1

ikhombisa ama-flow-sheets e-pyrometallurgical' kanye ne-hydrometallurgical

2 ukukhiqizwa kwethusi. Amathebula 6-1 kanye ne-6-2 ahlinzeka ngezifinyezo ze-capsule zalezi zinqubo.

1 I-PyrometaIIurgy INGABE Ukukhishwa kwe-metaI ku-ore futhi kugxininise ama-trate kusetshenziswa ukusabela kwamakhemikhali emazingeni okushisa aphezulu.

2 I-Hydrometallurgy iwukutholwa kwe-metaIs ensimbini kusetshenziswa izixazululo ezisekelwe emanzini.

Kusukela ngo-6000 BC, ithusi lomdabu—insimbi emsulwa—yatholwa njengamatshe abomvu endaweni yaseMed yase-Med futhi akhandwe abe yizitsha, izikhali, namathuluzi. Cishe ngo-5000 BC, izingcweti zathola ukuthi ukushisa kwenza ithusi libe namandla kakhulu. Ukuphonswa nokuncibilikiswa kwethusi kwaqala cishe ngo-4000-3500 BC (bheka umfanekiso 6-2). Cishe ngo-2500 BC, ithusi lahlanganiswa nethini ukuze kwenziwe ithusi—ingxubevange eyayivumela izikhali namathuluzi anamandla. I-Brass, i-alloy yethusi ne-zinc, cishe ayizange ithuthukiswe kuze kube ngu-300 AD

Ithusi laqale lambiwa (ngokungafani nelatholakala phansi) eSigodini saseTimna kwa-Israyeli—indawo eyincithakalo okukholakala ukuthi yayiyindawo yeNkosi uSolo mon’s Mines (bheka umfanekiso 6-3). AbaseFenike namaRemans, ababesebenza izimayini ezinkulu eCyprus nasendaweni yaseRio Tinto eningizimu yeSpain, benza intuthuko yokuqala ekuhlolweni kwethusi nezindlela zokumba. Isibonelo, amaRoman athola cishe imizimba yensimbi emise okwe-lens eyi-100 endaweni yethusi yaseRio Tinto. Izazi zokuma komhlaba zesimanje zithole amadiphozithi ambalwa nje angeziwe, futhi cishe yonke imikhiqizo yesimanje yaseRio Tinto isuka ensimbi eyatholwa okokuqala ngabakwaRemans.

3 E-Rio Tinto, abakwaRemans bemba ingxenye engaphezulu, inkabi idized, ingxenye yensimbi futhi baqoqa ingxube yethusi ye-Iaden ekhiqizwe ngamanzi ehlehla kancane kancane emizimbeni ye-suIfide ore. Ngenkathi amaMoor enqoba le ngxenye yeSpain phakathi neNkathi Ephakathi, insimbi ye-oxide yayisiphelile kakhulu. Ngokufunda kokuhlangenwe nakho kwamaRoma nge-sepage, amaMoor athuthukisa umgodi ovulekile, ukucwiliswa kwenqwaba, kanye nezindlela zobuchwepheshe ze-iron precipitation ezaqhubeka zisetshenziswa. e-Rio Tinto ngekhulu lama-20.

EBrithani, ithusi nethayela kwakusetshenzwa odongeni Lommbila futhi kwahwetshwa nabaseFenike kusukela ngo-1500 BC AmaReman aletha amasu athuthukisiwe ensimbi eBrithani.