| Issue |
E3S Web Conf.
Volume 649, 2025
2nd International Conference on Materials Sciences and Mechatronics for Sustainable Energy and the Environment (MSMS2E 2025)
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 01012 | |
| Number of page(s) | 8 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202564901012 | |
| Published online | 10 September 2025 | |
Optimization of Recycled Copper Purity: Pretreatment and Fire Refining Approach for Industrial Applications
QSM Laboratory, Mohammadia School of Engineering, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Abstract
In response to growing global copper demand, recycling has emerged as a key pillar for sustainable development. This study proposes a cost-effective and practical method for improving the purity of recycled copper, specifically tailored for small-scale industrial foundries. The process combines a pre-treatment stage with fire refining at an optimal temperature of 1120 °C. Three types of copper scrap were analysed, including bare wires (Berry) and heterogeneous scrap (Cliff). The pre-treatment eliminated 23% of impurities and enabled a final copper purity of up to 99.99% (4N), with electrical conductivity exceeding 86% IACS, reaching 88% in some cases. These results meet ASTM industrial standards and open potential applications in industrial boiler manufacturing. The method offers a sustainable recycling solution while reducing the environmental impact of copper recovery.
Publisher note: The authors affiliation has been corrected from “Mohammadia School of Engineers” to “QSM Laboratory, Mohammadia School of Engineering, Mohammed V University”, on September 23, 2025.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2025
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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