A partly reduced copper sulphide, obtained by alternately roasting and melting copper ore in separating the metal from associated iron ores, and called coarse metal, fine metal, etc., according to the grade of fineness. On the exterior it is dark brown or black, but on a fresh surface is yellow or bronzy in color.

(die) Matte A typical range of products of the smelting process of sulfidic ores if →roasting is an integral part of the →smelting process. Alternating roasting and smelting under reducing atmosphere results in an enrichment of the metal component in the ore. The English terminology is less exact than the German one which differentiates several matte phases with increasing metal contents, until the preliminary endproduct, the black copper or blister copper is produced. Blister copper has a copper contents of 90%. (BACHMANN 2000, S. 133f)

Mixture of copper and iron sulfide produced by the first smelting of the ore.

The product of a smelter, being metal with some contained sulphur. It must be further refined to obtain the pure metal.

A mixture of sulphur, iron and copper tapped from the reverberatory furnace in the smelter.

A metallic sulphide mixture made by melting the roasted product in smelting sulphide ores of copper, lead and nickel.

Matte is a term used in the field of pyrometallurgy given to the molten metal sulfide phases typically formed during smelting of copper, nickel, and other base metals. Typically, a matte is the phase in which the principle metal being extracted is recovered prior to a final reduction process (usually converting) to produce a crude metal. Mattes may also be used to collect impurities from a metal phase, such as in the case of antimony smelting.