Overview about High Purity Copper

High-purity copper (usually refers to a purity of 5N to 7N, i.e. 99.999% to 99.9999%) is a metal material with excellent physical and chemical properties.

High Purity Materials Products List

Properties of high-purity copper

Electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity: High-purity copper has extremely high electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, which makes it very useful in electronic and thermal management applications. According to multiple evidences, the electrical conductivity of high-purity copper is excellent, and its electrical conductivity can usually reach more than 100% of the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS). For example, the electrical conductivity of C110 / CW009A oxygen-free copper is at least 101.5% IACS. This high electrical conductivity makes high-purity copper widely used in the electrical industry, such as for the manufacture of cables, busbars and other power transmission equipment. In terms of thermal conductivity, high-purity copper also performs well. For example, the thermal conductivity of C11000 copper alloy is as high as 401 W/(m·K), which makes it excellent in applications such as radiators and heat exchangers that require efficient heat conduction. In addition, other data also show that the thermal conductivity of high-purity copper is usually between 393 W/m°C and 401 W/m°C. High-purity copper is widely used in electronics, power transmission, radiators, and precision mechanical parts due to its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. These properties make high-purity copper an indispensable material in many high-tech fields.

2. Ductility and processability: High-purity copper has good ductility and plasticity and can be processed into various shapes and sizes. The ductility of high-purity copper is very excellent, close to gold, and can be drawn into extremely fine wires, which are suitable for precision instruments. Studies have shown that as the purity of copper increases, its ductility also increases significantly. For example, nanocrystalline copper can be extended to more than 10 times its original length after cold rolling at room temperature without strain hardening effects. This superplastic ductility is mainly achieved by grain boundary sliding and movement. The ductility of high-purity copper makes it widely used in ships, automobiles, electronics, chip manufacturing and other fields. In addition, high-purity copper also has good thermal and electrical conductivity, making it indispensable in the manufacturing of semiconductor bonding wires, hi-fi audio cables, etc.

High-purity copper is easy to process, has good plasticity and ductility, and is suitable for forming through a variety of processes, such as rolling, stretching, bending, stamping and forging. C11000 copper alloy has good machinability due to its high purity and low oxygen content, and has better machinability than other copper grades. Nanocrystalline copper exhibits superplastic ductility due to its high density and extremely small microstrain and voids, which enables it to be processed into parts with complex surface shapes in industrial applications. In addition, after surface mechanical grinding treatment in liquid nitrogen environment, the strength and ductility of high-purity copper are well matched, this improves the inverted relationship between strength and ductility in traditional metal materials.

3. Corrosion resistance: High-purity copper has strong corrosion resistance and is suitable for many harsh environments. This material performs well in a variety of environments, including atmosphere, fresh water and sea water. The corrosion resistance of high-purity copper is mainly attributed to the protective oxide film formed on its surface, which can effectively prevent oxygen and other corrosive substances from contacting the metal surface, thereby slowing down the corrosion rate. In addition, high-purity copper also has good corrosion resistance in non-oxidizing acids, such as sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid. However, it should be noted that high-purity copper is not resistant to corrosion by oxidizing acids (such as nitric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid) and ammonia, because these media will generate complex ions and cause stress corrosion cracking. In practical applications, high-purity copper is widely used in the electronics field, such as manufacturing wires, cables and electronic components, due to its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. In addition, high-purity copper is also used in industrial applications that require long-term stability, such as in marine engineering and shipbuilding, because of its excellent resistance to seawater corrosion.

4. Chemical stability: High-purity copper exhibits high stability in many chemical reactions. High-purity copper has high chemical stability. Pure copper exhibits good corrosion resistance in non-industrial polluted media such as atmosphere and fresh water. Pure copper does not react with dilute hydrochloric acid or dilute sulfuric acid, but can be dissolved in nitric acid and hot concentrated sulfuric acid. The chemical stability of high-purity copper is also supported by some studies. For example, by introducing the grain boundary relaxation effect, high-purity copper exhibits high thermal stability and high strength, thus breaking the inverted relationship between purity and stability. This improvement shows that the chemical stability of high-purity copper can be further improved through appropriate treatment methods.

Application Fields of High Purity Copper

1. Electronic industry: High-purity copper is widely used in many fields of the electronics industry due to its excellent electrical properties and ductility. High-purity copper plays an important role in the semiconductor industry. For example, high-purity copper targets are one of the key materials for manufacturing semiconductor chips, which are used for interconnection wiring and ion plating inside the chip. In addition, high-purity copper is also used for sputtering targets, which is an important material for manufacturing electronic components such as liquid crystal displays, information storage devices and laser memories. High-purity copper is also very important in electronic connecting wires and audio cables. Due to its excellent conductivity, high-purity copper wires are often used to manufacture high-quality audio wires and various electronic connecting wires to ensure the stability and reliability of current transmission. In addition, high-purity copper is also used to make materials such as oxygen-free copper plates, oxygen-free copper strips, and oxygen-free copper wires, which have important applications in precision electronic devices. Oxygen-free copper has high strength and high thermal conductivity, and exhibits excellent creep resistance at high temperatures, making it an indispensable material in electronic devices.

2. Architecture and decoration: High-purity copper has good plasticity and processability, and can be easily made into complex shapes and structures. This enables it to be molded into various forms in architectural decoration, such as roofs, eaves, window frames, etc. For example, copper can be processed into smooth molds to make decorative details such as door frames and rainwater deflector heads. High-purity copper is not only used for architectural decoration, but also widely used in electrical, industrial, automotive and other fields. For example, C11000 ETP copper is widely used in electrical equipment and automobile manufacturing due to its excellent electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. In addition, copper is also used to manufacture industrial products such as heat exchangers for air conditioners and clock movements.

3. New energy and high-tech fields: High-purity copper is widely used in new energy and high-tech fields. Its main features include excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, which makes it irreplaceable in these fields. In the field of new energy, the application of high-purity copper is mainly concentrated in new energy vehicles, photovoltaics and wind power. For example, the demand for copper in new energy vehicles has increased significantly because its motors, battery management systems and other electrical components require efficient current transmission, which requires copper materials to have excellent electrical conductivity. In addition, the photovoltaic industry also has a great demand for copper because copper has strong electrical conductivity and is mainly used in the cells and balance systems of photovoltaic modules. In the field of high technology, high-purity copper also plays an important role. High-purity copper (such as 5N or higher purity) is widely used in sputtering targets, integrated circuit bonding leads, liquid crystal displays, etc. in semiconductor manufacturing. These applications require copper materials to have extremely high purity and consistency to ensure the high performance and reliability of electronic equipment. In addition, high-purity copper is also used to manufacture high-quality audio cables, large-scale integrated circuit interconnection materials, etc.

Hot Areas of High Purity Copper

Semiconductor Industry: High-purity copper is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, especially in sputtering targets and interconnects wiring. With the development of semiconductor technology, the demand for high-purity copper continues to increase.

New Energy Industry: High-purity copper has broad application prospects in new energy fields such as solar cells and wind power generation equipment.

Superconducting Technology: The application of high-purity copper in superconducting materials, especially in the research and development of high-temperature superconductors.

Related Product & Service