Copper concentrate is the result of a flotation process after the copper ore has been mined and milled. Copper concentrate is an intermediate product used as raw material in the production of copper metal. The quality of different copper concentrates can vary but copper sulphide concentrates are the most common and they typically contain around 30 per cent copper, 30 per cent iron and 30 per cent sulphur. Besides these elements they generally also contain some gold and silver.
Carmen de Andacollo is situated in the Coquimbo Region of central Chile at a rise of 1,000 meters, roughly 350 kilometers north of Santiago, close to the southern furthest reaches of the Atacama Desert.