The difference between cathode copper and copper scrap：from material properties to market prospects

Material definition and properties

Cathode copper is a high-purity electrolytic copper, it is also what we call red copper in daily life and its purity can usually reach more than 99.99%. Chinese copper processed materials can be divided into four categories according to their composition: ordinary copper (T1, T2, T3, T4), oxygen-free copper (TU1, TU2 and high-purity, vacuum oxygen-free copper), deoxidized copper (TUP, TUMn), and special copper with a small amount of alloy elements added (arsenic copper, tellurium copper, silver copper). This material is a copper product extracted from copper ore through electrolytic purification technology. It is often used in fields such as wires, cables, and electronic components that require high copper purity.

In contrast, copper waste refers to copper-containing waste generated in industrial production, building dismantling, and daily life. These wastes can be divided into clean waste copper (such as cable waste copper, mechanical parts) and impure waste copper (such as coated copper, copper alloy waste) according to their sources and composition. Due to its wide range of sources, the purity and composition of copper waste vary greatly.

Source

‌Cathode copper‌: Cathode copper is high-purity copper extracted from mines, usually produced by electrolytic refining. It is made by heating copper-containing materials and dissolving them in electrolytes, then inserting copper anodes and cathodes into electrolytic cells. After applying current, copper ions are deposited on the cathodes under the action of the electric field to form pure copper‌. The purity of cathode copper is usually above 99.99%, and can even reach above 99.999%.

Copper scrap‌: Copper scrap refers to recycled waste copper materials, mainly including waste wires, power lines, cables, etc. These scraps usually contain some impurities and insulating materials, which need to be removed through processing steps such as melting and filtering to finally obtain recycled copper‌3.

Uses

‌Cathode copper‌: Cathode copper has good electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, and is widely used in wires and cables, motors, cooling equipment, etc. Due to its high purity and excellent physical and chemical properties, cathode copper is also used in the manufacture of high-end electronic devices and high-precision components.

‌Copper scrap‌: Copper scrap is mainly used in the production of recycled copper. By recycling these scraps, the demand for new copper can be offset and production costs can be reduced. Recycled copper can be used to produce a variety of products, including cables, accessories, kitchen utensils, etc. Recycled copper usually has similar chemical and physical properties to new copper, so it can replace new copper in many applications.

Market Prospects and Trends

The cathode copper market has been driven by the demand for new energy, electric vehicles and infrastructure construction in recent years, showing a steady growth trend. The copper scrap market is affected by the degree of perfection of the recycling system, environmental protection policies and international trade rules.

It is worth noting that with the increasing global attention to carbon emissions, the recycling advantages of scrap copper are becoming more prominent. Many countries are promoting the upgrading of the scrap copper recycling industry to ease dependence on primary copper resources.

Differences in application scenarios

Due to its high purity, cathode copper is mainly used in fields with strict requirements on conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as high-end electronic equipment, precision instruments and high-voltage cables. After simple processing, copper waste is mostly used in the production of building materials, ordinary wires and cables and daily necessities.

Summary

Cathode copper and copper scrap each have their own unique value and uses. As resources become increasingly scarce, how to balance the production of primary copper and the recycling of scrap copper will be an important issue for the future development of the copper industry. Through technological innovation and policy guidance, the sustainable development of copper resources will become possible, helping to promote the global green economy.