Pure copper strip
Pure copper strip is a strip of high-purity copper material made through rolling, annealing, and other processes. Its copper content is typically above 99.5%. Due to its purple-red color, it is often called red copper strip. This material, with its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, ductility, and corrosion resistance, plays a vital role in numerous fields, including electronics, electrical engineering, communications, and construction. Pure copper strip comes in a wide range of thicknesses, from 0.02 mm to 3 mm, and widths can be customized from a few centimeters to over a meter. This material can meet the processing and usage requirements of various scenarios, making it an indispensable foundational material in industrial production.
The production of pure copper strip requires numerous meticulous steps, each crucial to the quality of the final product. First, electrolytic copper with a purity exceeding 99.95% is melted in a smelting furnace. A suitable deoxidizer is added to remove oxygen and impurities from the molten copper, ensuring its purity. The molten copper is then processed through a continuous casting and rolling mill into copper strip approximately 8-12 mm thick. This process requires strict control of the casting speed and cooling intensity to ensure uniform microstructure and the absence of defects such as porosity. Next, the copper strip enters the cold rolling process, where it is gradually thinned to the desired thickness through multiple rolling passes. The reduction ratio in each pass must be precisely controlled between 20% and 40% to prevent cracking caused by excessive deformation. During the rolling process, an intermediate annealing treatment is also required. Heating to 300-500°C and holding this temperature for a period of time eliminates work hardening and restores the material’s ductility, ensuring smooth subsequent rolling. Finally, the finished copper strips undergo finishing, slitting, surface treatment and other processes to ensure dimensional accuracy and surface quality to meet the needs of different customers.
The performance characteristics of pure copper strip make it irreplaceable in many fields. Its electrical conductivity is particularly outstanding, reaching over 90% IACS , far exceeding that of other metal materials. This makes it a top choice for conductive components in the electrical and electronic fields, such as cable shields and motor commutators, effectively reducing energy loss during current transmission. Regarding thermal conductivity, pure copper strip boasts a thermal conductivity of approximately 386 W/(m · K) , enabling rapid heat transfer. This makes it a popular choice for heat dissipation components such as radiators and heat exchangers, playing a vital role in automobiles and air conditioners. Furthermore, pure copper strip exhibits excellent ductility, with an elongation exceeding 30% . This allows for complex processes such as bending, stamping, and stretching, allowing it to be easily formed into various custom-shaped parts, meeting the assembly requirements of precision instruments. Furthermore, it exhibits excellent corrosion resistance in environments such as air and freshwater, and the oxide film formed on its surface provides protection, extending its service life.
Pure copper strip is used in nearly every industry. In the electronics and information technology sector, it’s widely used in the conductive layers and connector contacts of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Its high conductivity ensures stable transmission of electronic signals, making it a key enabler for the miniaturization and high-performance development of electronic products. In the power industry, it’s often used in transformer windings and busbars, efficiently conducting high currents and ensuring the safe and stable operation of power systems. In architectural decoration, pure copper strip, after surface treatment, can be used to create curtain wall trim, door and window frames, and other products. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing but also weather-resistant, ensuring long-lasting aesthetics. In the automotive industry, pure copper strip is used in components such as wiring harnesses and radiator cores, playing a key role in improving vehicle performance and reliability. With the development of emerging industries such as new energy and 5G communications, the application of pure copper strip in areas such as lithium battery electrodes and base station antennas is also expanding.
Industry trends indicate that the production of pure copper strip is moving toward high precision, thinness, and functionalization. To meet the demand for miniaturized electronic devices, ultra-thin pure copper strip with a thickness of less than 0.05 mm has become a research and development hotspot. By employing high-precision rolling equipment and advanced lubrication technology, stable production is now possible, with dimensional tolerances within ±0.001 mm. Significant progress has also been made in the development of functionalized pure copper strip. For example, copper strip with tin or gold plating further enhances its solderability and corrosion resistance, expanding its application in high-end electronics. The development of antibacterial pure copper strip offers new material options for applications in medical and food processing. Furthermore, the industry is increasingly prioritizing green production, reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions through measures such as optimizing smelting processes and recycling rolling oil. In the future, with the continued development of high-end manufacturing, the performance requirements for pure copper strip will continue to rise, driving further breakthroughs in material research and development, process innovation, and other areas, providing strong support for technological advancement in various fields.
