Production Selenium is most commonly produced from selenide in many sulfide ores, such as those of copper, nickel, or lead. Electrolytic metal refining is particularly productive of selenium as a byproduct, obtained from the anode mud of copper refineries. Another source was the mud from the lead chambers of sulfuric acid plants, a process that is no longer used. Selenium can be refined from these muds by a number of methods. However, most elemental selenium comes as a byproduct of refining copper or producing sulfuric acid. Since its invention, solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW) production of copper produces an increasing share of the worldwide copper supply. This changes the availability of selenium because only a comparably small part of the selenium in the ore is leached with the copper.
Production Selenium is most commonly produced from selenide in many sulfide ores, such as those of copper, nickel or lead. Electrolytic metal refining is particularly productive of selenium as a byproduct obtained from the anode mud of copper refineries. Another so,urce was the mud from the lead chambers of sulfuric acid plants, a process that is no longer used. Selenium can be refined from these muds by a number of methods However, most elemental selenium comes as a byproduct of refining copper or. producing sulfuric acid. Since its invention, solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW) production of copper produces an increasing share of the worldwide copper suppl,y. This changes the availability of selenium because only a comparably small part of the selenium in the ore is leached with the copper.