Copper is one of the most important materials in the world today and has been used by human beings for various purposes for millennia. The variability of features attributed to copper makes it useful for a number of industrial purposes.

Copper has high electric and heat conductivity, it is resistant to corrosion and is stainless, and it is quite malleable.

KCM produces two types of copper cathode – REC and KBC. The major uses of copper cathodes are in the manufacture of copper rods for the wire and cable industry and copper tubes for consumer durable goods. Copper cathodes are also used for making alloys like brass, bronze and alloy steel, with applications in transportation, electrical appliances and machinery, defence and construction.

The Nchanga Smelter produces copper anodes that are taken to the Nkana refinery for producing cathodes. These cathodes have a purity level that meets the highest international quality standards and are registered as REC (A Grade) on the London Metal Exchange (LME). KCM also produces copper cathodes through its Tailings Leach Plant at Nchanga. These cathodes are marketed as KBC (A Grade).