Random Question of the Day: How can copper wire be melted?

[BeachBaby]

I want to melt a bunch of copper wire into a glob. How would I achieve this?

Yes - I'm series.

[LynneSin]

1. If you had infrared vision like Superman - you could melt them with your eyes

:hide:

[Pierre.Suave]

2. I am not an expert, but...

wouldnt heat do the trick?

:P

and in a serious note, you need some material that will not melt at a temp near, at, or below, the melting temp of copper, and then apply heat in enough quantity to melt the copper.

[SacredCow]

3. Propane torch....

Melting point of pure copper is in the 1980°F-ish range.

Kids- don't try this at home.

:yoiks:

[3.14158675309]

4. Hey, what about silver? Could that be melted by a propane torch?

[SacredCow]

6. Yeah... That should melt, too.

just what are y'all planning???


Never mind- I probably don't want to know!

[DarkTirade]

13. That's what I would suggest.

I wouldn't do it myself without a shitload of safety gear and training, 'cause I've never used a propane torch. But that's what I'd use. :P

[flvegan]

5. Melting it doesn't conceal the fact that you stole it.

[Deep13]

21. bingo nt

[DS1]

7. 1.21 Gigawatts

[BeachBaby]

10. Yo, soldier boy. Check your pm in a few.

[av8rdave]

8. I only know how to MAKE copper wire

It's pretty simple, really...you just get a couple of pilots fighting over the same penny.

[Bunny]

9. On the community barbecue grill.

It's how my a-hole brother got thrown out of his apartment complex. :eyes:

[Mugu]

11. Whenever I have something that I absolutely, positively need to melt

I just make up a batch of thermite. Easy to make and fun to use.

[Orrex]

14. Careful, or you'll make the WTC collapse on purpose

[MajorChode]

12. Twist the bare wire together and plug each end into a wall socket

You might have to reset the circuit breaker a few times for best results.

If you're really series, go to your local hardware store and look for a mapp gas torch. Propane might work, but it will take forever.

[SacredCow]

16. Depends on how much wire we're talking about....

As for the wall socket idea- it'll work MUCH better if you bypass the circuit breaker/fuse box somehow.

[MajorChode]

17. Yes, but that might be unsafe

[SacredCow]

18. Point taken....

so wear a condom and a safety harness when attempting.

[MajorChode]

19. Got it

[Inchworm]

15. Some numbers for ya

hehe

Copper melts at 1,084.6 °C or 1984.28 F (1,357.8 K)

Acetylene (C2H2) plain air 4,532 F
Acetylene (C2H2) w/Oxygen 5,612 F
Butane (C4H10) plain air 3,578 F
Butane (C4H10) w/Oxygen 4,925 F
Hydrogen (H2) plain air 4,010 F
Hydrogen (H2) w/Oxygen 5,792<1>F
Methane (CH4) plain air 3,542 F
Natural gas plain air ~3,542 F
Propane (C3H8) plain air 3,596F
Propane (C3H8) w/Oxygen 4,579 F

I think I read all that right ;)

:hi:

EDIT: wrong brand of #s :P

[MajorChode]

20. Not many of those are easily available

And MAPP gas (LPG or Propylene) isn't listed, but you can get it at your local hardware store.

The problem is copper might melt at 1984 degrees, but it conducts heat extremely well, so the challenge is to heat all the mass that you want to melt at the same time, which is not easy if you're trying to melt very much.

From a practical standpoint, unless you know someone with an Oxy/Acetylene rig, an Oxy/MAPP kit would be the best bet.

[sakabatou]

22. Forge oven/smelter for large batches

[TreasonousBastard]

23. A copper furnace, obviously-- but you could use...

a kiln. Ceramic kilns easily get to 2000F.

I've tried the propane torch way, and it doesn't work-- not hot enough.

[mwooldri]

24. Throw it into the middle of an active volcano.

That I'm sure would melt the copper into a glob. I however haven't thought about the retrieval part yet.

[TZ]

25. One problem...

I believe active volcanoes are in short supply in New Jersey...:rofl:

[madinmaryland]

26. Isn't that called "the meadowlands"

At least it smells that way.

:hide:

[IntravenousDemilo]

27. In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West was surely made of copper, given her green patina,

... so maybe you can melt the copper wire by throwing a bucket of water on it. The downside is, you'll also destroy its beautiful wickedness.

[SacredCow]

28. Bah! Everyone knows witches are made of wood!!!!

That's why they float!

[One_Life_To_Give]

29. PVC Jacketed?

Traditionally Copper is melted in a Forge. Could be traditional Coal or Propane or for members of the EE forum Solar powered. (Ok one individual will claim we need a Fission Forge instead of Solar but I digress.)

Bigger concern would be are we talking Insulated Wire? The most common insulations are made from PolyVinylChloride with additional flame retardents such as Bromine added. Bad for the Ozone layer, potential for Greenhouse effect and really, really bad for people. It can kill very quickly in rather low concentrations.

[Orrex]

30. You can melt it down in an Arthur Miller play

[TZ]

31. Nice post...

Granny Weatherwax....:rofl:

[MrSlayer]

32. Why would you want to? It doesn't increase the scrap value.

Just skin it and sell it. Unless you are doing some crazy art or something there is no reason to melt it down. It would require a dangerously high temperature to do it. You'd need to create a forge of some sort to generate that kind of heat.

[Orrex]

33. And forgery is illegal

[krispos42]

34. The melting point of copper is about 2,000ºF

I suppose if you put the wire in some kind of thick-walled ceramic vessel and hit it with a propane torch you could build up enough heat to melt it down.

[ashling]

35. with a lot of heat

bsure to put it in a dixie cup frst.
:evilgrin:

[petronius]

36. Put it in the microwave - about 75 minutes on Hi power should do it

:)

[struggle4progress]

37. You'll need a nice deep stone-lined pit with some sort of air supply. Stack in charcoal.

Get the charcoal lit at the bottom. Cover the pit with a few flat stones, leaving a small exhaust hole, and work the bellows or turn on your blower. You may want to open the thing a few times to add more charcoal. At some point, add a crucible containing the wire, and put the cover back on

You may also be able to do this in a free-standing ceramic oven, filled with hot coals

The air supply and cover are probably important

I'd let the thing cool days before mucking with it. Also please not to douse with water unless you really want hot molten metal flying atcha

[bridgit]

38. That would be at a sustained 1893.2 degrees F