Abstract: Metallic copper is recovered from raw materials containing copper in a chemically bound state by first leaching the copper-containing raw material with a ferric chloride solution to extract copper as copper chloride in aqueous solution. The copper is extracted from the copper chloride solution with a liquid ion exchanger which is then stripped with sulfuric acid to form a copper sulfate solution. Metallic copper is recovered from the copper sulfate solution by hydrometallurgical reduction of it with hydrogen gas. An iron chloride salt may be crystallized from the copper-free raffinate from the ion exchange step, and then roasted to yield ferric oxide and hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric acid produced in the roasting step is electrolyzed to produce hydrogen gas and chlorine gas which can be used in the regeneration of the ferric chloride leach solution.