$1000 in copper I can't get to! Help!!

Originally Posted by sawmilleng

I don't think you could break the bond between the two metals with an electric current--you can't get an electrolyte into the mix since they are right together.

The electrochemical reactions you have referenced all take place in the presence of a liquid electrolyte between the two metals.

Jon.

I don't really know that much about this stuff so maybe this wouldn't work, but if I was in the original poster's position this is what I would do. I would use the whole hunk of metal as the anode. I read somewhere that things can't easily be electroplated with iron because it rusts too easy so hopefully what you would get at the cathode would be pure copper. Basically I'm guessing that this process would produce rust and copper. Hopefully a lot faster then it would happen naturally.

Edit: I've been doing some reading and things are more complicated then I thought they were.
http://www.finishing.com/4000-4199/4169.shtml
I think I would try it with a small copper steal anode first to see if it works, then if it does try it with the whole thing. Also, I would be careful because chemicals can be dangerous.