[Jewelry making - Article 00050] - Re: [Orchid] Using copper carbonate for fusing

[John Burgess]

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>        John-- (foot in mouth disease) Maybe you (or someone out there)
>     can "redeem yourself" by answering a different question...   

    G'day Firstly, thank you for still having some faith in me. Secondly
    I have never done granulation 

>      I'm disappointed that no one has seized on the question about
>     using copper carbonate for fusing.  Since it is copper *carbonate*,
>     will it also supply the needed carbon? 

    No.    Upon heating copper carbonate, carbon dioxide gas is driven
    off, leaving copper oxide As I understand the process of granulation,
    the organic glue, such as hide glue, will supply the carbon required
    to reduce the copper oxide to copper, and flux will help the area
    stay clean during the heating.  It is thus important that whatever
    glue is used to hold the granules to the base material should be
    free from other inorganic contamination 

>      It's a solid-- so will it supply anything? I tried it for fusing
>     silver to silver, 

    Copper carbonate is insoluble in anything except acids and very
    strong alkalies. and you use neither.   When mixed with flux and
    organic glue it should provide the necessary copper upon heating
    strongly to lower the melting point at the interface of the granule
    and base, and thus 'fuse' .    I understand that the ancients used
    ground malachite, which contains copper carbonate, plus an hydroxyl
    ion (OH)  But that disappears with heating too. Those old blokes were
    pretty clued up., eh? 

-- 
Cheers for now,
John Burgess;   johnb AT ts.co.nz of Mapua, Nelson NZ


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