Understanding Copper Smelting Technology
Copper, a pivotal metal in the global industrial system, is indispensable across core sectors including electrical, construction, automotive, and electronics. The International Copper Study Group (ICSG) forecasts that global refined copper production will reach approximately 28.27 million tons in 2025, representing a 2.3% year-on-year increase. With the accelerated development of electrification and new energy industries, copper's strategic value and market demand continue to rise. Today, we will systematically examine the entire copper smelting industry chain-from ore characteristics to smelting technologies-to provide a comprehensive understanding of "where copper comes from and where it goes."
Understanding Copper: Why It's the "Vessel of Industry"
Copper's widespread application stems from its irreplaceable physicochemical properties, which also define its core value across various fields:
► Conductivity King: With conductivity second only to silver, it is the core material for power transmission - China's State Grid and 80% of the world's power cables rely on copper, known as the "material cornerstone of the second industrial revolution (electrification)". Today, it is also a key component of new energy photovoltaic and energy storage systems.
► Thermal Conductor Expert: Its thermal conductivity ranks second only to silver, with a melting point of 1083°C and boiling point of 2567°C. This makes it indispensable for high-temperature applications like air conditioning cooling and automotive radiator heat dissipation.
► Natural antibacterial properties: Copper ions (Cu²⁺) penetrate microbial cell membranes and disrupt enzyme metabolism, effectively inhibiting pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter. This explains why mainstream U.S. building water pipes and aquaculture cages (using copper alloys instead of nylon) employ copper materials, balancing hygiene and durability.
► Corrosion-resistant and aesthetically pleasing: Copper resists corrosion from organic acids and alkalis (except ammonia), forming a pale green oxide layer that provides permanent protection for underlying metals. Its corrosion resistance has been extensively validated in diverse applications-from the roofs of ancient structures to critical components of warships and merchant vessels (accounting for 2%-3% of a ship's weight), and even in seawater desalination system pipes.
► High plasticity and alloy potential: It can be drawn into thin copper wire, rolled into thin copper foil, and can also form alloys with various metals (such as brass, bronze), meeting the customized needs of different industrial scenarios.
From an application structure perspective, copper's downstream demand is highly concentrated: copper rods and wires (57%) dominate the power sector, while copper tubes (11%) and copper plates and strips (14%) support the home appliance and electronics industries. The remainder is distributed across copper bars, copper-based alloys, and related fields. At the industry level, power (20%), construction (22%), transportation (13%), and electronic communications (15%) are the core demand sectors, forming the "downstream backbone" of the copper industry chain.
Introduction to the Copper Industry Chain
The copper production process comprises three key stages: copper concentrate mining, crude copper smelting, and refined copper smelting. These stages form the three-phase industrial chain. The first stage involves mining operations, which include open-pit mining, underground mining, and leaching methods. The second stage focuses on smelting processes, categorized into pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods. Notably, pyrometallurgical smelting further divides into two processes: primary refining and secondary refining. The final stage is product processing, yielding various copper products such as rods, tubes, sheets, wires, ingots, bars, and foil.
Electrolytic copper, also known as cathode copper, mainly comes in two types in China. One is No.1 electrolytic copper, which must have a content of at least 99.95%, and this is the main circulating product in the market. The second type is No.2 electrolytic copper, with a content of 99.5-99.9%. Additionally, there is another type called high-purity cathode copper, also known as premium copper, which has a content of over 99.99%, and this is the most expensive electrolytic copper in the market. Electrolytic copper is produced through processes such as dissolution, smelting, and electrolysis of copper concentrate. Currently, the two most commonly used smelting methods in the market are pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. To this day, pyrometallurgy remains the primary method for copper smelting, accounting for about 85% of global copper production.
