Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Growing copper electrolytically

Growing copper electrolytically

jhonn - 5-4-2013 at 11:02

I've been thinking if i can grown copper electrolically.Like copper plating, but instead of a thin layer, i would let it run long enough to form solid copper blocks.If i put the cathode in the end of a plastic tube, and seal this same end, so the tube is filled with solution, the copper would grow acquiring the format of the tube.Would this work ?If not, is there any other way to "shape" copper without melting it ?

Metacelsus - 5-4-2013 at 14:40

Copper is refined industrially this way. I'm not so sure if you could force it to grow into a shape, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_extraction_techniques#El...

elementcollector1 - 5-4-2013 at 15:17

Well, on the one hand, it makes sense. On the other, the shape formed might be incredibly brittle if you grow it too quickly...
Although it'd be an interesting method of making copper pipes.

Vargouille - 5-4-2013 at 15:24

You would be able to shape it, sure, but it's not like it would be a little ingot in the shape of a test tube. Ignoring the fact that, as you suggest it, it would eventually slow to a stop because of the loss of charge neutrality, you would just get a bunch of copper "crystals" packed into the shape of a test tube. My best guess is that they would be quite fragile and wouldn't look nor act much like the bulk metal.

EDIT: If you've ever seen electrolytic copper, you'd see what I mean. This video, a little less than a minute in, shows what that looks like.

[Edited on 5-4-2013 by Vargouille]

Godspeed429 - 5-4-2013 at 18:37

Yes you can. its called Electroforming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroforming
I did see on another site a guy who made little copper cones this way.

I wasn't trying to form a shape but i did deposit 41 grams of copper onto another piece of copper.
The piece is solid and not fragile at all

elementcollector1 - 5-4-2013 at 19:04

What was the original shape?

Godspeed429 - 5-4-2013 at 19:27

Quote: Originally posted by elementcollector1

What was the original shape?

A semi-curved rectangle, roughly 2''x.500''x.062 ''
The Cauliflower looking bulbs are the corners.

its a piece of tubing cut in half a straightened

12AX7 - 6-4-2013 at 18:11

I've done sizable quantities before:

I was purifying bars of probably 95% material I had salvaged and cast into bars.

Thiourea (as found in Tarn-X) provides enough leveling for a matte finish, but heavy deposits grow with a botrydial habit. A stronger leveler (and brightener) is needed for a solid block. Trade secrets are tightly kept, but they're usually based on thio- and xantho- chemicals.

Tim

itb - 6-4-2013 at 22:43

I believe SPS is one of the professional brightners used. I believe it's called bis (3-sulfopropyl)-disulfide but it seems to have many more names too. If someone could show how to synthesize this and try it out with results that would be awesome...as I havn't actually tried it yet. Google sps and electroplating plenty of info will pop up and get you in the right direction with brightners that is.