Introduction
Red copper is a relatively pure type of copper, which can generally be approximately regarded as pure copper. It has good electrical conductivity and plasticity, but its strength and hardness are relatively poor. Red copper has excellent thermal conductivity, ductility and corrosion resistance. The trace impurities in red copper have a serious impact on the electrical and thermal conductivity of copper. Among them, titanium, phosphorus, iron, silicon, etc. significantly reduce the electrical conductivity, while cadmium, zinc, etc. have little effect. The solid solubility of sulfur, selenium, tellurium and other substances in copper is very low. They can form brittle compounds with copper and have little effect on electrical conductivity, but can reduce processing plasticity.
Red copper has excellent corrosion resistance in the atmosphere, seawater, and certain non-oxidizing acids (hydrochloric acid, dilute sulfuric acid), alkali, salt solutions, and various organic acids (acetic acid, citric acid), and is used in the chemical industry. In addition, red copper has good weldability and can be processed into various semi-finished and finished products through cold and hot plastic processing. In the 1970s, the output of red copper exceeded the total output of all other types of copper alloys.
Physical properties
The trace impurities in red copper have a serious impact on the electrical and thermal conductivity of copper. Among them, titanium, phosphorus, iron, silicon, etc. significantly reduce the electrical conductivity, while cadmium, zinc, etc. have little effect. The solid solubility of oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium and other substances in copper is very low. They can form brittle compounds with copper and have little effect on electrical conductivity, but can reduce processing plasticity. When ordinary red copper is heated in a reducing atmosphere containing hydrogen or carbon monoxide, hydrogen or carbon monoxide is prone to react with cuprous oxide (Cu2O) at the grain boundaries, generating high-pressure water vapor or carbon dioxide gas, which can cause the copper to crack. This phenomenon is often referred to as copper's "hydrogen disease". Oxygen is harmful to the weldability of copper. Bismuth or lead forms a low-melting-point eutectic with copper, causing copper to become hot brittle. When the brittle bismuth is distributed in a film-like manner at the grain boundaries, it causes cold brittleness in copper. Phosphorus can significantly reduce the electrical conductivity of copper, but it can enhance the fluidity of molten copper and improve weldability. Appropriate amounts of lead, tellurium, sulfur, etc. can improve machinability. The tensile strength of annealed red copper plates at room temperature is 22 to 25 kg-force per square millimeter, the elongation is 45 to 50%, and the Brinell hardness (HB) is 35 to 45.
The thermal conductivity of pure copper is 386.4w/(m.k).
Application
The uses of red copper are much more extensive than those of pure iron. Every year, 50% of copper is electrolytically purified into pure copper and used in the electrical industry. The red copper mentioned here indeed needs to be extremely pure, with copper content reaching over 99.95%. Even a very small amount of impurities, especially phosphorus, arsenic, and aluminum, can significantly reduce the electrical conductivity of copper. It is mainly used for manufacturing electrical equipment such as generators, busbars, cables, switchgear, transformers, etc., as well as heat exchangers, pipes, flat plate collectors for solar heating devices and other heat-conducting equipment. The presence of oxygen in copper (a small amount of oxygen is easily mixed in during copper smelting) has a significant impact on electrical conductivity. Copper used in the electrical industry generally must be oxygen-free copper. In addition, impurities such as lead, antimony and bismuth can prevent the copper crystals from bonding together, causing hot brittleness and also affecting the processing of pure copper. This highly pure copper is generally refined by electrolysis: impure copper (i.e., crude copper) is used as the anode, pure copper as the cathode, and copper sulfate solution as the electrolyte. When the current passes through, the impure copper on the anode gradually melts, and the pure copper gradually precipitates on the cathode. Copper refined in this way; The purity can reach 99.99%.
Red copper is also used in the production of motor short-circuit rings, electromagnetic heating inductors, and high-power electronic components, such as wiring blocks and terminal blocks.
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