1. Introduction
Porphyry copper deposits are the world’s main source of copper,
molybdenum, and rhenium. They are also a significant source of
gold, silver, tin, and a range of by-product metals (British geological
survey, 2007). In many porphyry copper ores, various aluminosilicate
minerals are present, such as kaolinite, chlorite, illite, and
montmorillonite.