Current Development Status and High-Quality Development Trends of China's Copper Processing Industry [SMM Copper Industry Conference]

On April 23, at the CCIE-2025SMM (20th) Copper Industry Conference and Copper Industry Expo - Main Forum, hosted by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd., SMM Metal Trading Center, and Shandong Aisi Information Technology Co., Ltd., with Jiangxi Copper Corporation and Yingtan Land Port Holding Co., Ltd. as main sponsors, and Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd. as a special co-organizer, Xinhuang Group and Zhongtiaoshan Nonferrous Metals Group Co., Ltd. as co-organizers, Dr. Qingping Tong, Chief Scientist of China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., analyzed the current status and high-quality development trends of China's copper processing industry. 1. Copper and Copper Alloys Characteristics of Copper Copper has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. By adding different elements, various copper alloys can be formed, each with distinct superior properties. For example: - Electrical (thermal) conductivity ← Pure copper; Strength ← Ni, Cr, Ti, Be; Corrosion resistance ← Ni, Al, Sn; Coloration ← Zn, Ni, Al; Machinability ← Pb, Bi, Te; Wear resistance ← Sn, Al, Ag; Antibacterial properties, etc. - Heavy (high density), surface oxidation, large thermal expansion coefficient, high price. Types of Copper Processing Products: Copper pipe, copper billet/busbar, copper wire/wire/powder, copper plate, copper strip, copper foil. Applications of Copper and Copper Alloys The applications include communication, rail transit, automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, home appliances, robotics, new energy, machinery, data centers, etc. Production of Copper Semis China's production of copper semis in 2024 was 21.25 million mt, up 1.9% YoY, with wire accounting for about 50%. Main Consumption Areas of Copper Semis It elaborated on the proportion of copper semis consumption and the细分市场的需求。以下是翻译结果： On April 23, at the CCIE-2025SMM (20th) Copper Industry Conference and Copper Industry Expo - Main Forum, hosted by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd., SMM Metal Trading Center, and Shandong Aisi Information Technology Co., Ltd., with Jiangxi Copper Corporation and Yingtan Land Port Holding Co., Ltd. as main sponsors, and Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd. as a special co-organizer, Xinhuang Group and Zhongtiaoshan Nonferrous Metals Group Co., Ltd. as co-organizers, Dr. Qingping Tong, Chief Scientist of China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., analyzed the current status and high-quality development trends of China's copper processing industry. 1. Copper and Copper Alloys Characteristics of Copper Copper has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. By adding different elements, various copper alloys can be formed, each with distinct superior properties. For example: - Electrical (thermal) conductivity ← Pure copper; Strength ← Ni, Cr, Ti, Be; Corrosion resistance ← Ni, Al, Sn; Coloration ← Zn, Ni, Al; Machinability ← Pb, Bi, Te; Wear resistance ← Sn, Al, Ag; Antibacterial properties, etc. - Heavy (high density), surface oxidation, large thermal expansion coefficient, high price. Types of Copper Processing Products: Copper pipe, copper billet/busbar, copper wire/wire/powder, copper plate, copper strip, copper foil. Applications of Copper and Copper Alloys The applications include communication, rail transit, automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, home appliances, robotics, new energy, machinery, data centers, etc. Production of Copper Semis China's production of copper semis in 2024 was 21.25 million mt, up 1.9% YoY, with wire accounting for about 50%. Main Consumption Areas of Copper Semis It elaborated on the proportion of copper semis consumption and the细分市场的需求。 2. Current Status and Development Trends of Tube/Rod/Wire/Strip Current Status and Development Trends of Tube/Rod/Wire/Strip - Internal thread tube, external thread tube, smooth tube 1. Properties of copper tubes: Excellent electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, easy processability (brazing, bending, etc.), antibacterial properties; 2. Application areas: Refrigeration and air conditioning systems, building water supply and drainage, gas transmission, industrial and marine, power electronics, medical, etc. 1. Traditional process: Casting ingot → Hot extrusion → Rolling → Drawing → Annealing → Thread processing; 2. Continuous casting and rolling: Horizontal continuous casting → Rolling → Drawing → Annealing → Thread processing, compared to traditional processes, it requires less equipment investment and has higher production efficiency; 3. Technical level: There is still room for improvement in internal thread shape (tooth height, tooth pitch, helix angle, etc.), but China's overall processing technology for internal thread copper tubes leads the world; 4. Special applications: Steady progress in localisation of large-diameter, corrosion-resistant copper tubes; 5. Development trends: Further energy conservation and emission reduction, digitalization and smart manufacturing are imperative. Current Status and Development Trends of Rod/Wire - Preparation technology for rod (rod)/wire 1. Application areas: Mechanical manufacturing, power equipment, automotive industry, military and aerospace, etc.; 2. Traditional process: "Casting ingot → Hot extrusion → Drawing", "Shaft furnace (SCR) continuous casting and rolling → Drawing"; 3. Continuous casting + continuous extrusion: Compared to the traditional process "Casting ingot → Hot extrusion → Drawing", it significantly improves the production efficiency of copper rod, billet, busbar, and wire, with lower equipment investment, lighter environmental burden, and lower manufacturing costs; 4. Technical level: China's upward continuous casting technology, continuous extrusion technology, and equipment are at the world-leading level; 5. Development trends: Smart manufacturing, localisation of high-end alloy rods and wires, development and application of 3D printing and other additive manufacturing technologies. Current Status and Development Trends of High-Strength, High-Conductivity Copper Alloy Wire 1. Wire and cable: Including power (distribution), communication equipment, electrical equipment, and new energy vehicles, these industries have entered a mature and transformation stage, with continuously improving technical levels and increasing competitiveness in the international market. 2. High-performance, special cables: The demand for high-performance wires and cables in new energy, rail transit, and aerospace industries is increasing. Therefore, it is urgent to increase R&D and commercialization of high-performance new products and accelerate the process of intelligent manufacturing. 3. Development trends: R&D and industrialization of high-value-added, differentiated products in rail transit, aerospace, medical, semiconductor, and robotics fields are key. For example, Cu-1～6wt%Ag high-strength, high-conductivity alloy wire has been applied in medical and robotics fields. Properties of high-strength, high-conductivity copper alloy wire: The maximum tensile strength can reach 1,400 MPa. By controlling Ag content and using newly developed processing technology, high-strength, high-conductivity copper alloy wires with strength (MPa)/conductivity (%IACS) of 1,400/75, 1,200/80, 1,000/85, and 800/90 have been successfully prepared. Preparation Technology for Ultra-Fine Copper Alloy Wire and Its Application Products 1. High-strength, high-conductivity copper wire: Successfully developed copper alloy wire with both tensile strength and electrical conductivity above 85 (850 MPa + 85% IACS). 2. Developed batch production technology for ultra-fine wire with a single wire diameter of 0.013 mm, which has been applied in multiple fields such as medical and robotics. 3. Current Status and Development Trends of Plate/Sheet/Strip/Foil Current Status and Development Trends of Plate/Sheet/Strip/Foil - Performance of various copper alloys (plate/sheet/foil) Development trends: Performance: High strength, high conductivity + α; α: Corrosion resistance, wear resistance, high-temperature resistance, fatigue resistance, easy processability. Current status: In recent years, significant progress has been made in scientific and technological innovation and industrialization. Compared to top-tier foreign enterprises, traditional copper alloy products have achieved "keeping pace" and "leading"; high-end copper alloy products are moving from "following" to "keeping pace"; some key core products still need to be addressed. Short-term goal: Localisation of key copper alloy products, large and strong. Medium and long-term goal: Achieve leading from keeping pace; develop new products and new applications. Additionally, it introduced some CuNiSi series alloys from Japanese copper processing enterprises, C7025 copper-nickel-silicon alloy strip from Zhongse Zhengrui, C18150 copper-chromium-zirconium alloy strip from Zhongse Zhengrui, and zinc-copper-nickel alloy C75210/C77010 strip from Zhongse Zhengrui. Current Status and Development Trends of Plate/Sheet/Strip/Foil - Rolled copper foil - Production process of rolled copper foil 1. Key technologies for raw material preparation: ① Melting technology: Main components, impurity content, gas composition; ② Casting technology: Appearance of casting ingot: No cracks, no cold shut, no foreign matter inclusion; Internal quality of casting ingot: No cracks, no porosity... ③ Microstructure and properties: Grain size, surface quality, mechanical properties, plate shape... 2. Key technologies for copper foil rolling: Plate shape, thickness tolerance, surface quality, microstructure... 3. Key technologies for surface treatment: Morphology of copper nodules, profile, uniformity of copper nodules, adhesion of copper nodules, color... New Product Development - ① High Flexibility Rolled Copper Foil 1. The crystal orientation on the surface of electrolytic copper foil is irregular, with a low (100) plane ratio and low flexibility. 2. Compared to electrolytic copper foil, the (100) plane ratio and flexibility of traditional T copper rolled copper foil are more than twice as high. 3. The flexibility of high-flexibility rolled copper foil with a (100) plane ratio controlled at 88% is seven times that of traditional T copper rolled copper foil → The flexibility of rolled copper foil is proportional to the (100) plane ratio. 1. By controlling the (100) plane ratio, the flexibility has been significantly improved (about 10 times compared to traditional rolled copper foil); 2. Flexibility can be controlled according to different applications. New Product Development - ② 9 μm High Flexibility Rolled Copper Foil 1. Reducing the thickness of rolled copper foil significantly improves flexibility. Compared to 25 μm thick copper foil, the flexibility of 9 μm thick high-flexibility rolled copper foil is about 10 times higher; 2. With the popularization of foldable smartphones, the demand for higher flexibility rolled copper foil will increase, and the demand for 9 μm or even thinner high-flexibility rolled copper foil will also increase. New Product Development - ③ C7025/7026 High-Strength Copper Alloy Foil Application areas: 3C (mobile phones, headphones, computers) B to B, automotive, home appliances. Product specifications: Thickness: 18-60 μm. 1. Precise control of heat treatment conditions to prepare high-precision raw materials with uniform chemical composition, excellent mechanical and physical properties. 2. Using high-precision plate shape control technology and thickness tolerance control technology, high-strength copper foils with thickness specifications of 60, 50, 35, 25, and 18 μm have been successfully developed and mass-produced. New Product Development - ④ C18150 Copper Alloy Foil 1. Precise control of the entire set of process conditions to prepare high-precision raw materials with uniform chemical composition, excellent mechanical and physical properties. 2. Using high-precision plate shape control technology and thickness tolerance control technology, high-strength, high-conductivity copper foils with thickness specifications of 60, 50, 35, 25, and 18 μm have been successfully developed and mass-produced. New Product Development - ⑤ Low-Profile Surface Treatment Rolled Copper Foil Low-roughness surface treatment rolled copper foil has achieved low transmission loss and high peel strength. Melting and Casting Technology 1. Development of shaft furnace technology for preparing oxygen-free copper, including high-purity oxygen-free copper (C10110) for electronic tubes. - Relatively low investment - Low running cost 2. Development of fully continuous casting equipment, tooling, and process technology for alloys such as CuMg, CuTi, and CuCrZr. - Development of differentiated technology to enhance competitiveness and escape from a vicious competitive environment - Compared to vacuum casting and semi-continuous casting, initial investment is lower, and running cost is lower 3. Development of new alloying technology and efficient, high-quality melting and casting technology. - Macro-segregation prevention technology - Grain refinement technology and other industrialization technologies Concluding Remarks Concluding Remarks - ① Concluding Remarks - ② R&D: Increase efforts in developing original process technology, major equipment, and high-performance alloy materials. Aim to break free from imitation and dependence on advanced foreign technology and equipment in the short term, achieving self-reliance and localisation of key basic materials and major equipment. Industrialization: The success of industrialization is the standard for testing "scientific and technological innovation." Target the needs of existing and incremental markets, and focus on industrialization to ensure close integration between R&D and industrial demand, achieving efficient commercialization. Accelerate the pace of industrial transformation and upgrading, and promote "digital" and "intelligent" manufacturing technology to achieve the goal of keeping pace with and leading advanced foreign enterprises. Tube, Rod, Wire, and Strip: High-corrosion-resistant alloy tubes and rods, ultra-fine alloy wires, and high-value-added, differentiated products in rail transit, marine vessels, aerospace, medical, semiconductor, and robotics fields are key. It is necessary to increase R&D efforts in high-value-added products in niche markets.

Plate/Sheet, Strip and Foil: Strive to achieve localisation substitution for copper strip materials such as semi-etched lead frames and high-performance connector materials that still need to be imported in the short term. The consistency and stability of product performance need to be improved. The development and industrialisation of equipment technology for rolled copper foil, surface treatment technology for copper foil used in high-frequency and high-speed communication, and non-magnetic element coating technology for copper foil surfaces.

New Markets: The rapid and vigorous development of industries such as advanced medical, robotics, high-speed copper cable connections, artificial intelligence, data centers, and satellite communication will bring considerable new demands and opportunities. Leverage the advantages of "industry-academia-research-application" to develop specialised technologies/products, escape the cut-throat competition environment, and reshape the development landscape of the copper processing industry.

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