The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-05-30
INVENTS METHOD FOR
MAKING COPPER WIRE

Salt Lake. May ga new process
of making copper sheet and wire di.
rect from the raw ore has been invent
ed by Mr.. Sherard Cowpcr Coles, a
British electro-mctallurgist. which
makes it cheaper, quicker and clean
or than the method now in use. The
process permits OF making sheets and
wire of copper in varying diameters,
thickness and widths IN continuous
lengths from the crude metal, giving
1t greater strength than that produced
by rolling, swaging or drawing
II Is claimed that the process Is en-
tirely new, copper being deposited by
electrical agency upon the surface of
drum or cylinder driven at n given
speed while immersed In huge vat
or cell. The copper as deposited up
on the cylindrical surface is rubbed
by the friction of the solvent solution
or electrolyte In the cell, so that u
perfectly pure metal is obtained
BY electrolyte is mean copper gained
from impure metal by electrical de-
composition. and rcdeposltion where
by the copper Is taken from an impure
and redepositcd In pure form ut the
opposite pole Of the battery, while 9th
, er metals are prccipitatcd to the bot
tom OF the tank In which this work is
done The wire or sheeting thus OBJ
tanned Is denseI, tougher and better
texture than under the present pro-
cesS,
The centrifugal force caused by the
rapid revolution of the cylinder In
- -
the solution Itself upon the particles
OF copper. eliminates all impurities
from the copper, leaving the wire and
sheets absolutely pure copper. This
alone recommends the process, as 1t
Is much shorter than the old method
of refining the copper first
To determine the speed-for that Is
the secret of the whole process-at
which tho cylindrical cone should be
reyolved the inventor tried many ex-
periments. The slow revolutions left
the copper deposited on the cylinder
rough and uneven of surface, while
that of the greater speed LETT the de,
posits both smooth and highly POL
ishcd.
In forming wire. the cylinder upon
inscribed from end TO end with a con-
tinuous spiral scratch, the channel be-
ing "V' shaped making unwinding
easier, and affording a demarcation
for breaking the copper. making the
uncoiling strip one of uniform thick
ness
The process of immerslng this cyl.
inder with its spiral scratch in
round vat containing the acid solution
or electrolytc, and Tevolyed at the re-
quired speed, can produce a strip OF
wire from three TO five miles in length,
and by the same process the copper
sheet or copper cylinders so much used
in the textile industries
The copper produced by this method
is to all purposes absolutely pure. the
finished article containing per cent
impurities and the copper is as hard
as If obtained by cold rolling. Tubes
made by this process have been
known TO withstand the strain of equal
TO II tons, and after drawing TO with
stand n pressure of 1000 pounds to
the square inch. the thickness OF the
metal being only .063 inch. This
method is said 10 be 10 times faster
than any existing system OF electro
deposition.
A firm In Germany has secured the
invention. and Is now completing n
factory where the process will be tried
out on an extensive scale. If 1t re-
suits in making electrical supplies or
q purer quality Of copper, and ar the
same time costing less, the invention
may become one of importance TO
American factories Of electrical sup
plies. as well as copper people in gen
eTal