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#1 2026-01-30 13:14:57
- Terraformer
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- From: The Fortunate Isles
- Registered: 2007-08-27
- Posts: 3,994
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Copper, Silver, and other Metals
Easing off now, but copper price has spiked quite high.Pre 92 two/pennies are worth far more than their face value, like 2.5-3x. Silver peaked at $3.80 per gram -- https://goldtrack.io/silver. Copper hit $13.53/kg.
It's starting to sink in I think that electrifying everything requires metals, which requires mining, which requires ores high grade enough to be worth mining. Ores we uh don't have. Copper is useful enough I think that we'd still mine it if the only source cost $100/kg, but we couldn't use it liberally. Aluminum is going up too, naturally.
Use what is abundant and build to last
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#2 2026-02-01 18:26:31
- Void
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- Registered: 2011-12-29
- Posts: 9,248
Re: Copper, Silver, and other Metals
It does not matter if the people to the south are annoying or not, they will benefit from this, I expect: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/r … &FORM=VIRE
Quote:
JUST NOW: Canada Discovers a 6.8 Billion-Ton Aluminum Treasure — Everything Changes
YouTube
NewsQuake
Like it or not, Canada's energy and such an ore deposit will be a benefit to near-by markets even if only their money is liked at this point.
Canada lucks out and the USA lucks out as well. Or Canada is productive and the USA benefits as well.
Like it or not. I like it.
This and the giant Iron Ore deposit in Australia is likely to be helpful to technological societies.
https://www.futura-sciences.com/en/geol … omy_23187/
Ending Pending 
Last edited by Void (2026-02-01 18:31:41)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
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#3 Yesterday 05:45:49
- Terraformer
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- From: The Fortunate Isles
- Registered: 2007-08-27
- Posts: 3,994
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Re: Copper, Silver, and other Metals
Maybe half of copper use can be substituted with aluminium. Cabling appears to be doable, motors and transformers not really. That still leaves a massive shortfall if the entirety of humanity is to be brought up to a western standard of living, quite apart from any additional electrification... there are resources, but the grade is really low, so I won't be surprised if it ends up overtaking nickel in value.
Silver has settled somewhat, or at least is creeping upwards *relatively* slowly compared to its spike; I expect it will end up around $2.80-3.00 per gram. Quite a bit more than the $0.8-0.9 I paid for 54g back in 2013 that I need to sort out my access to (BullionVault).
FWIW the copper prices mean the pre 92 british copper coins (actual copper) are worth 2.5-3x their face value. Of course, meddling with the coinage is illegal in Britain. Key part there being "in Britain".
Last edited by Terraformer (Yesterday 05:46:04)
Use what is abundant and build to last
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#4 Yesterday 06:44:44
- Calliban
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- From: Northern England, UK
- Registered: 2019-08-18
- Posts: 4,300
Re: Copper, Silver, and other Metals
Aluminium alloys have better strength-weight ratio and are already favoured in power distribution. For building cabling, there were early problems with fires caused by oxidation and thermal expansion at junctions. This has largely been solved by the use of specific electrical grade aluminium alloys. So yes, there is plenty of room for substitution of aluminium alloys for copper.
A while back on this forum, I looked into the idea of using iron bars for electrical cabling. This only works for DC. It turns out that iron is actually more energy intensive than aluminium, because the electrical conductivity of iron is much lower than aluminium. It would require thick and heavy conductors to handle the same current. So that idea turned out to be a bad one.
We have periodically explored the idea of non-electrical power transmission on this forum. This would involve hydraulics, compressed air or mechanical transmission. This is more cumbersome than electrical systems, but there is scope to expand this approach if copper supply begins to fall short.
Last edited by Calliban (Yesterday 06:52:16)
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
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#5 Yesterday 09:06:33
- Void
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- Registered: 2011-12-29
- Posts: 9,248
Re: Copper, Silver, and other Metals
Carbon may be a partial option it appears: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files … tors_0.pdf Quote:
Carbon Conductors
for Lightweight
Motors and
Generators
Enabling increased motor efficiency
using a novel high electrical
conductivity carbon nanotube
technolog
I also started this topic: https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=11299
"Index» Life support systems» Carbon is the New Metal"
So, it may be that power lines can be gradually replaced with Carbon and the metals harvested from them.
Ending Pending
Last edited by Void (Yesterday 09:09:47)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
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