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Copper Wire.

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Copper is probably the most used bulk electrical conductor. Silver is used in smaller electronic applications.


I was wondering if anybody can remember where, due to a lack of Cu, Ag was used in vast quantities for a special application at great expense. The details elude me at present. I have two clues. Ten tons and 1,663.


Z.
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    Roger Bryant:

    I think that it was for the Calutrons used to separate the isotopes of uranium for the atomic bomb project in the USA.

    https://www.americanscientist.org/article/from-treasury-vault-to-the-manhattan-project


    Best regards


    Roger




    Roger has it right.


    The Manhattan Project during WW2 needed much copper wire for the Calutrons to extract U235 and U238. Copper was scarce and silver was used at a cost of 300 million U.S.D. Silver coins were melted down from the U.S. treasury for the purpose of being turned into silver electrical wire. 10 tons of silver was needed I believe. At Oak Ridge over 80,000 workers were involved. At the Eastman Plant in Tennessee the electro magnetic process was used. Electric power was provided by the T.V.A. at 150,000 kW/minute at the Clinton Engineering Works, and huge amounts of water. 


    J.R. Oppenheimer worked at the research and manufacturing lab.  establishment at Los Alamos in New Mexico. It had the address of just P.O.Box 1663.


    The Dr. Arthur Compton that we are familiar with is involved in the Manhattan Project as well. His name was associated with fluorescent lighting as well.


    At 12 minutes plus into this clip we can see a short glimpse of a Calutron being made.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv5JNAuGcJU


    Z.

     

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  • 0

    Roger Bryant:

    I think that it was for the Calutrons used to separate the isotopes of uranium for the atomic bomb project in the USA.

    https://www.americanscientist.org/article/from-treasury-vault-to-the-manhattan-project


    Best regards


    Roger




    Roger has it right.


    The Manhattan Project during WW2 needed much copper wire for the Calutrons to extract U235 and U238. Copper was scarce and silver was used at a cost of 300 million U.S.D. Silver coins were melted down from the U.S. treasury for the purpose of being turned into silver electrical wire. 10 tons of silver was needed I believe. At Oak Ridge over 80,000 workers were involved. At the Eastman Plant in Tennessee the electro magnetic process was used. Electric power was provided by the T.V.A. at 150,000 kW/minute at the Clinton Engineering Works, and huge amounts of water. 


    J.R. Oppenheimer worked at the research and manufacturing lab.  establishment at Los Alamos in New Mexico. It had the address of just P.O.Box 1663.


    The Dr. Arthur Compton that we are familiar with is involved in the Manhattan Project as well. His name was associated with fluorescent lighting as well.


    At 12 minutes plus into this clip we can see a short glimpse of a Calutron being made.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv5JNAuGcJU


    Z.

     

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