Copper cathodes

The cathode is the basic product of copper production. It is produced in a marketable form at Aurubis for use in high-quality applications.

A cathode – a 50 to 80 kg copper square – is produced when pure copper separates from unwrought copper in an electrolytic refining process. Aurubis produces about 1.2 million t of cathodes with a copper content of at least 99.99 % per year in Germany (Hamburg, Lünen), Belgium (Olen) and Bulgaria (Pirdop)

Aurubis cathodes are produced with ISA Technology and comply with the cathode standards LME Grade A, Cu-CATH-1 (EN 1978) and Copper Cathodes Grade 1 (ASTM B115). Aurubis cathode production sites are all certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Copper cathodes with specific maximum impurity levels are also registered and traded on the London Metal Exchange and the Comex. High-quality copper is distinguished by low impurity levels, as even the smallest amounts of selenium, bismuth or antimony in the ppm range can strongly influence conductivity.
The Aurubis copper cathode brands NA-ESN, HK, OLEN and PIRDOP are registered on the LME and have a very high level of purity and constant quality, regardless of the input materials. These cathodes form the basis for our high-quality copper products.

Dimensions of Aurubis cathodes

	NA-ESN	HK	OLEN	PIRDOP
Length (approx.)	965 mm	1060 mm	1005 mm	1000 mm
Width (approx.)	975 mm	906 mm	995 mm	1020 mm
Thickness (ca.)	5-10 mm	5-10 mm	5-10 mm	5-10 mm
Weight (approx.)	50-70 kg	50-70 kg	50-70 kg	50-80 kg

Analysis of NA-ESN, HK, OLEN and PIRDOP cathodes (Data in ppm)

Pb

Bi

As

Sb

Sn

Zn

Fe

Ni

Co

Cr

Cd

Mn

Se

Te

Ag

S

<1

<0.5

1

<1

<2

1

<1

<0.5

10-17

<5

These cathode brands comply with the cathode standards ASTM B 115, Grade 1, DIN EN 1978 and Cu-KATH-1.

Aurubis cathode production sites are all certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Sustainability

CO₂ footprint

in kg CO₂ equivalents per t of copper cathode

Already small and still shrinking: The environmental footprint of our products Copper, tin, silver, gold and other metals are the elements at the heart of digitalization. So for sustainable development, it is crucial that we find environmentally friendly ways of producing these essential metals. With our life cycle assessments (LCAs), we have again demonstrated that we are pioneers in sustainability.