Looking to melt copper

[danny987]

Hi, I'm looking for something capable of melting copper to make bullion. (1+ lbs. at a time) Something low cost, but effective.

 

[Noxx]

What is low cost for you ?

 

[danny987]

What would my options be for less then $400?

I tried blowing a mapp torch directly onto the copper, but 20 minutes later it still was only red.

I tried to build my own furnace, but that was just a pain.

 

[istari9]

When I was a welder, we welded Copper using Mig and Tig. First we would preheat the copper to cherry red using 2 rose buds then tig weld spots to hold the parts together. Afterwards we kept the cherry color as we Mig welded the balance of the weldment to finish. Copper displaces heat so fast that to melt it with convectioal methods is not cost effective. Try a Kiln to the melting temp of copper. It may work...not sure though. Personallly I would not even try not worth the effort. But thats just me

Ray

 

[Lou]

This is easy to do if you follow good melting practice and are after pretty looking bars.

For high quality copper, you must melt under inert atmosphere and cast under inert atmosphere into a graphite mold.

Totally do-able though.

 

[butcher]

thought of this might try someday copper thermite copper oxide and metal aluminum powder, thought it might be a way to convert some of my waste and burn out a few of these pesky stumps on my property, how about it Lou your the chemist (remember not too complicated suggestion in laymens terms please, Im only learning chemistry, and at 52 years old, Old dogs learn slower, but better) or maybe a lil help from Noxx who likes fireing things up, might make copper clumps I could sell to scrap yard. or might come in handy welding on large metals, nothing else good education thanks. danny the ancient people built fire pits with rock tops and used tubes to blow air ,to make copper and bronze tools, I have done similar making Iron sword using coal, charcoal, and a fan for air, as i understand it copper will need a carbon source to convert to metal Like flour, charcoal, straw ect.

 

[Lou]

You can smelt CuO with a carbon source (charcoal works fine).

As for the copper thermite, that's just asking for it--copper thermite explodes and doesn't just sparkle and spray a bit like regular iron thermite.

Lead thermite also explodes but it is no where near as shock sensitive as a copper-aluminum or copper-magnesium thermites which I have heard reports of it being initiated by a rifle shot.