How copper goes from rock to wire!

The process of how copper goes from ore to the shiny wires we all know it as!

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#copper #copperproduction #metal #refinery #refining #coppermining #mining #copperore #copperwire #minerals #coppersmith #electrolysis

[aredditor]

The method he's showing is called froth flotation. He's not mentioning an important part of the process. The process of electrolysis leaves behind "anode slimes". Two of the more common metals in the slimes are gold and silver. The slimes often provide a significant part of the income of the mine.

[mattakudesu]

Humans have figured out how to do some wild shit

[RC_Channels]

As an electrician who pulls this stuff everyday at work, I find this pretty fascinating.

[megabolt]

Truck driver here.
I'd like to point out that, those slabs are abSURDly heavy. Normally when we transport those slabs to a plant that turns those slabs to wires, we can only transport about 5 sets of 6 slabs because, that much alone already gets up to around 45, 000lbs which is usually the max weight limit that trucks can transport without going overweight.

[BRamz_]

the fact that someone looked at the way Factorio smelts copper and said, "hmmm not realistic enough" and then made a mod that mimics this process is crazy.

[seanplace]

Copper is one of the most cool metals.
It's very malleable, resists corrosion, conducts electricity well, can form a protective layer of patina when outdoors, and it even has antimicrobial properties! The color is also fairly unique.

[satinsteeldad]

Cover all metals that you can be done or extracted by electrolysis

[darrenHokage]

Now we just need a video on how crackheads steal the copper and the cycle will be completed.

[VentiVonOsterreich]

Now I understand the Ea Nasir customer complaint tablet from Ancient Mesopotamia about copper quality

[cptdoritos]

"Jesse, we need to cook 99.99% pure Copper"

[Momo_Kawashima]

"This copper is 99.9% pure"

-Heisenberg

[NoWayCraig]

It amazes me that someone figured out how to extract the copper minerals from the stones. How did anyone even begin to figure this out???

[nas]

I'll finish since the video didn't. After the cathode is put into the furnace, it melts down and the liquid copper is poured out into a continuous bar. While hot, the bar is pulled through progressively smaller and smaller plates with holes in them called dies. From what I've seen, there is a large size finished wire that is transported to other drawing facilities to be further drawn to smaller sizes for different uses.

[DailyMeditation]

"that's it" it amazes me that people actually figured out how to do all this

[sloanmagnum]

This is way different than how the tweekers in my city do it.

[CrucialGaming]

Whoever figured out that process deserves some recognition

[badkittymama]

Thank you! My father was a metallurgist many years ago. He poured large manganese bronze propellers for tankers, subs, aircraft and cargo carriers. I miss his metallurgy lectures. I’ve forgotten most of it now but I think I was the only one in my fourth grade class who knew the difference among copper, brass, and bronze! We loved visiting his foundry. Thanks again for the memories!

[Just_Ritali]

my minecraft furnace ain't doin allat.

[justagamer]

They really went "99%? Nah fam, over here we do 99.99%"

[racrazavenshev]

Also forgot to include the part about the companies abandoning the mines after they run dry, turning them into toxic death lakes when the rainfall fills them. It's a necessary part of the process.