Yet while copper is superior to aluminium in terms of electrical conductivity and ease of installation, copper prices have skyrocketed since the 1970s, and are on the verge of taking off to the moon.

Ores of reactive metals have to be heated with carbon or carbon monoxide in order to extract the metal. Copper oxide powder is mixed with carbon powder. The mixture is heated strongly for a few ...

The table summarises the extraction methods used for different metals. Although an unreactive metal is found as the metal itself, chemical reactions are often needed to remove other elements that ...

Recovery rates of copper stand at 40-45 per cent, far below the 75 per cent achieved globally. At 30-35 per cent, India lags behind the 65-75 per cent aluminium extraction in advanced economies.