Recycling and refining of copper for electrical application

摘要

Copper is, after silver, the best electrical conductor. All residual impurities inside the matrix have high consequences on these properties. Thus, the Nexans factory in Lens “purifies” the copper scraps by a fire refining in order to remove all the internal pollutant. This process, unique in France, is complementary to a traditional process using an electrolytic cathode. It allows, first, to diversify the raw material and, second, to increase the ecological balance compare to the traditional way of scrap treatment for electrical application.