The recycling loop can return clean metallic feed to remelting or send complex material through recovery and secondary refining. “Cathode” is a refined input form; it is not a synonym for every copper product.
Specification before quotation
Copper Grades and Types in India
“Copper” can mean a cathode grade, a conductivity-controlled material, a product form, an alloy, a delivery specification or a scrap category. Those labels answer different questions. This guide keeps grade, form and scrap classification separate so a purchase request can be precise.
Standards and links checked 31 August 2026. Always confirm the applicable edition, certification and customer drawing before procurement.
First distinction: grade, form and scrap
Grade
Material chemistry and properties, such as Cu-ETP, Cu-FRHC, OFC or an IS 191 cathode designation.
Form
What the mill delivers: cathode, rod, wire, strip, bar, busbar, tube, foil or a finished component.
Scrap classification
A buyer/seller description of recoverable material, contamination and preparation. It is not automatically a BIS new-metal grade.
A product can carry all three kinds of information: for example, a copper rod made from a specified grade and sold with a BIS product standard.
Ore to product
The material changes form before it reaches a drawing machine
The flow below is a material map, not a claim that every product uses every step. Scrap can enter a separate recovery route.
Refined cathode
Indian cathode designations: start with BIS IS 191
BIS IS 191:2007 is the Indian reference for copper material designations. Its product manual and public summary cover cathode and other wrought-copper designations, along with chemical, electrical and dimensional requirements. The exact purchase requirement still belongs in the specification and test certificate.
Useful IS 191 labels
| Designation | Plain-language use | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| Cu-CATH-1 | Electrolytic copper cathode designation. | Do not assume it is identical to every other exchange or national cathode specification. |
| Cu-CATH-2 | Another BIS cathode designation. | Confirm chemistry, conductivity, dimensions and certificate requirements. |
| Cu-ETP | Electrolytic tough-pitch copper family used for conductive products. | “ETP” alone does not specify a product form, temper or end-use standard. |
| Cu-FRHC | Fire-refined high-conductivity copper family. | Do not use the family name as a substitute for the applicable BIS product standard. |
Source: BIS product manual for IS 191:2007 and BIS public standard summary. Names are summarized; this page is not a reproduction of the standard.
ETP, OF, OFC, OFE and FRHC
- ETP
- Electrolytic tough-pitch copper. Widely used where high electrical conductivity and manufacturability are required.
- FRHC
- Fire-refined high-conductivity copper. It is a refining/conductivity family, not a finished product shape.
- OF / OFC / OFE
- Oxygen-controlled or oxygen-free copper families. “OFC” and “OFE” usage can differ by the governing material standard, so specify the standard and UNS number where relevant.
For an oxygen-free reference, Copper Development Association datasheets list UNS C10100 as Oxygen-Free-Electronic (OFE) and C10200 as Oxygen-Free (OF). These are international alloy designations, not automatic equivalents to a BIS designation.
Three systems, three purposes
BIS, LME and MCX labels should not be collapsed
The table is a cross-reference guide, not an equivalence table. A producer, buyer or warehouse should compare the actual chemistry, form, brand, certificate and contract rule.
| Reference | What it controls | How to use it | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIS IS 191:2007 | Indian copper product designations and requirements. | Use for Indian material specification and certification conversations. | BIS |
| LME Grade A | Exchange deliverability; Grade A cathode chemistry references include BS EN 1978:2022 Cu-CATH-1, GB/T 467-2010 Cu-CATH-1 and ASTM B115-10 (2021) Grade 1. | Use for LME-approved brands and settlement eligibility. It is not a blanket certificate that any Indian cathode meets every domestic product requirement. | LME |
| MCX Good Delivery: refined copper | Physical-delivery quality and warehouse/contract rules specified by MCX. | Read the current Good Delivery Norms and circulars for the contract in force. This is delivery context, not a price or investment guide. | MCX product page · MCX circulars |
| UNS C10100 / C10200 / C11000 | International wrought-copper alloy identification. | Use the full UNS number, temper and product standard; do not infer equivalence from a similar abbreviation. | Copper Development Association |
Important: BIS, LME, MCX and UNS references serve different procurement, exchange or alloy-identification purposes. “Cu-CATH-1” appearing in two systems does not by itself prove legal, chemical or delivery equivalence.
Physical forms and Indian standards
Choose the product form before choosing the label
The standards below are the compact working map. The BIS Scheme-I listing and applicable Quality Control Order should be checked for current compulsory-certification scope, edition and exemptions.
| Product form | BIS standard | Coverage / example | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wire rod | IS 12444:2020 | Copper wire rods for electrical applications. HCL’s Taloja product page gives a manufacturer example and says its rods conform to ASTM B49:2017 and/or IS 12444:2020. | HCL example |
| Electrical rods and bars | IS 613:2000 | Copper rods and bars for electrical purposes. BIS’s product manual references Cu-ETP and Cu-FRHC raw-material grades. | BIS manual |
| General-engineering rods and bars | IS 4171:1983 | Copper rods and bars for general engineering purposes. | BIS list |
| Strip / busbar feed | IS 1897:2008 | Copper strip for electrical purposes. Busbar design may also require a drawing, temper, conductivity and hole/plating details. | BIS list |
| Condenser and heat-exchanger tube | IS 1545:1994 | Solid drawn copper and copper alloy tubes for condensers and heat exchangers. | BIS list |
| General-engineering tube | IS 2501:1995 | Solid drawn copper tubes for general engineering purposes. | BIS list |
| Plumbing tube | IS 14810:2000 | Copper tubes for plumbing. | BIS list |
| Refrigeration and air-conditioning tube | IS 10773 | Wrought copper tubes for refrigeration and air-conditioning. BIS’s current catalogue surfaces IS 10773:2025, second revision; older QCO lists may show IS 10773:1995. | BIS catalogue |
| Wire | IS 4412:1981 | Copper wires for general engineering purposes. | BIS list |
No matching standard. Search by form, standard number or purpose.
Source: BIS Scheme-I product list. A product page or standard title does not replace the latest controlled copy, licence scope or purchaser drawing.
Shape is not grade
Rods, wire, strip, busbars and tubes
Wire rodUsually a continuous-cast feedstock for drawing into wire. Diameter, conductivity, surface, oxygen level, coils and test certificate matter. HCL’s Taloja page is a product example, not a universal market definition.
WireA drawn product. Ask for diameter, electrical or mechanical requirement, temper, insulation/coating and the governing standard. Wire rod and wire are not interchangeable purchase descriptions.
Rod and barUse the intended purpose: electrical or general engineering. The same broad metal name can hide differences in dimensions, straightness, temper and performance.
Strip and busbarStrip is a rolled flat product. A busbar is an electrical component or semi-finished product whose width, thickness, edge, holes, plating, temper and current duty should be specified.
TubesPurpose drives the standard: plumbing, general engineering, condensers/heat exchangers or refrigeration/air-conditioning. Wall thickness, size, cleanliness, pressure, flaring and joining method can be critical.
Foil and sheetThese are forms, not grades. Specify alloy, temper, thickness tolerance, surface and end use separately; do not substitute a cathode label for a sheet specification.
Secondary copper
Scrap is a classification conversation, not a universal grade
There is no single India-wide dealer price or universal commercial name for “copper scrap”. Local names, buyer specifications, assay practice, contamination, recovery yield, freight, taxes and payment terms all affect a quote.
International ReMA / ISRI language
ReMA’s specifications are international buying and selling guidelines, not BIS new-copper grades. Terms commonly encountered in international trade include:
- Bare Bright / Barley: clean, bare unalloyed copper wire terminology; the exact specification controls what is accepted.
- Berry: clean copper wire and cable category, with exclusions and preparation requirements.
- Candy: clean heavy copper solids and tubing.
- Birch: miscellaneous copper wire category with a nominal copper-content description and contamination exclusions.
- Cliff: miscellaneous copper solids and tubing category with a nominal copper-content description and exclusions.
Source: ReMA’s updated scrap-specification notice. Use the current full specification and buyer agreement; short names alone are not enough.
Practical scrap classification tree
Is it clean, unalloyed copper?If no, separate brass, bronze, insulated cable, motors, radiators, e-waste, attachments and mixed non-ferrous material.
What is the form?Wire, tube, heavy solids, sheet/plate, turnings, cable, motor or mixed component. Form affects sorting and recovery.
How clean is it?Record insulation, solder, tin, paint, oil, iron, brass/bronze, dirt, moisture and non-metallics. Photographs are not an assay.
What does the buyer accept?Agree the specification, deductions, assay method, unit, loading, freight, tax and settlement terms before calling the material a grade.
Why scrap does not equal cathode
Scrap may have high recoverable copper but variable contaminants and recovery cost. A clean copper tube, a mixed cable and a copper-bearing motor can all be called “copper scrap” in casual conversation while producing different payable metal after processing.
Alloys and price language
Don’t confuse copper with brass or bronze
| Material family | Main distinction | Procurement implication |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | Primarily copper; conductivity and purity are central for many electrical uses. | Specify grade, conductivity, form, temper and product standard. |
| Brass | Copper-zinc alloy family. | Specify alloy composition and form; do not quote it as pure copper. |
| Bronze | Copper alloy family where tin or other alloying elements are significant, depending on the alloy. | Specify the alloy designation and required mechanical/corrosion properties. |
Scrap sorting must keep brasses and bronzes separate when the buyer specification requires unalloyed copper. ReMA notices explicitly list brass and bronze as exclusions for several copper scrap categories.
Why two copper products can have different prices
Reference metal valueStart with the relevant market reference or agreed base.
SpecificationPurity, conductivity, oxygen, alloy, temper, dimensions and test requirements.
Fabrication and formMelting, casting, drawing, rolling, forming, cleaning, packaging and inspection.
Commercial termsManufacturer premium, freight, taxes, finance, inventory, margin and delivery risk.
Scrap deductionsFor scrap, contamination, moisture, recovery yield, assay, sorting and processing are deducted or negotiated.
A buyer’s quick guide
How to choose the right copper description
Selection tree
What will it become?Electrical conductor, plumbing tube, refrigeration tube, heat exchanger, busbar, general engineering part or scrap feed.
Do you need new refined material or recovered material?Choose cathode/rod/wire/tube/strip standards for new products; use an agreed scrap specification for recovered feed.
What property is non-negotiable?Conductivity, purity, oxygen, mechanical strength, pressure performance, cleanliness, dimensions, temper or surface.
Which authority governs the transaction?BIS/QCO and licence scope in India, a customer standard, LME or MCX delivery rules, UNS alloy identification, or a private buyer specification.
What evidence will you accept?Controlled standard edition, mill test certificate, inspection, assay, traceability, approved brand list, sample or drawing.
Common misconceptions
- “Cathode, rod and wire are the same.” They are different forms in a processing chain.
- “OFC always means one universal chemistry.” Use the governing standard and complete designation.
- “LME Grade A means every Indian product is interchangeable.” Exchange deliverability and domestic product requirements serve different purposes.
- “A scrap nickname is a BIS grade.” ReMA/ISRI language is a scrap-trade specification family, not a BIS new-metal grade.
- “The copper-price reference is a delivered local quote.” Physical products add specification, conversion, freight, taxes and commercial terms.
Source register
Standards and references to verify before buying
Last checked 31 August 2026. “Current” is intentionally not inferred from an old title: BIS’s public catalogue currently surfaces a 2025 second revision for IS 10773 while legacy QCO listings reference 1995.
| Authority | Document / page | Coverage | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIS | Scheme-I copper products | Product list, QCO context and listed Indian standards. | 31 Aug 2026 |
| BIS | IS 191:2007 product manual | Copper designations and product requirements summary. | 31 Aug 2026 |
| BIS | IS 10773 catalogue record | Current catalogue status surfaced for refrigeration/air-conditioning tube. | 31 Aug 2026 |
| LME | Copper contract specifications | Grade A physical settlement and approved-brand chemistry references. | 31 Aug 2026 |
| MCX | Copper product page and circulars | Contract and Good Delivery resources; use the latest applicable circular. | 31 Aug 2026 |
| Copper Development Association | Wrought copper datasheets | UNS alloy identification and international reference data. | 31 Aug 2026 |
| ReMA | Scrap specifications notice | International scrap-trade categories and terminology. | 31 Aug 2026 |
Procurement note
This guide is educational. For a purchase or compliance decision, use the current controlled standard, applicable Indian regulation/QCO, supplier licence scope, test certificate, approved-brand or delivery rule and your own drawing. If a quotation says only “copper”, ask for the grade, form, standard, dimensions, temper, conductivity/purity, quantity, delivery point and inclusions.
Put the material in market context
See how mining, imported concentrate, refining capacity, product output and recycling fit together in India.
Quantitative reference
ETP, OF and OFE are close in conductivity—not interchangeable grades
The CDA alloy pages give a useful international comparison. Values below are minimums or maximums from the named individual page; “not specified in this source” is intentional. These are not automatic BIS equivalences.
| UNS designation | Family | Min Cu (%) | Max O (%) | Min annealed conductivity (% IACS) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C11000 | ETP | 99.90 | Not specified in this source | 100 | CDA C11000 |
| C10100 | OFE | 99.99 | 0.0005 | 101 | CDA C10100 |
| C10200 | OF | 99.95 | 0.0010 | 100 | CDA C10200 |
| C11020 | FRHC | 99.90 | Not specified in this source | 100 | CDA C11020 |
Conductivity is annealed conductivity as displayed by CDA. Compare the complete UNS designation, product form, temper, dimensions and governing standard before ordering; a similar chemistry line does not create a BIS, LME or MCX equivalence.
Technical process map
Ore → concentrate → blister/anode → cathode → product
This expanded sequence makes the smelting/converting step explicit. Recycling remains a parallel loop rather than a claim that every scrap item follows the primary route.
Blister/anode is an intermediate smelting product; cathode is the electrorefined product form. Rod, strip and tube are downstream forms, not alternative names for cathode.
IS 191 designation map
Eight labels to keep distinct in a purchase conversation
The list is a plain-language map based on BIS’s product manual and public summary, not a reproduction of the standard. The “family” column describes refining or deoxidation context; it is not a finished-product specification.
| Designation | Plain-language description | Family / context | Do not imply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-CATH-1 | Electrolytic copper cathode designation. | Refined cathode | Not automatically every exchange or national cathode rule. |
| Cu-CATH-2 | Second BIS cathode designation. | Refined cathode | Confirm chemistry, conductivity, dimensions and certificate. |
| Cu-ETP | Electrolytic tough-pitch copper. | Oxygen-bearing conductive family | Not a product form, temper or end-use standard by itself. |
| Cu-FRHC | Fire-refined high-conductivity copper. | Fire-refining / conductivity family | Not a substitute for the applicable product standard. |
| Cu-FRTP-1 | Fire-refined tough-pitch copper, grade 1. | Fire-refining / tough-pitch family | Do not assume the same limits as ETP or FRHC. |
| Cu-FRTP-2 | Fire-refined tough-pitch copper, grade 2. | Fire-refining / tough-pitch family | Confirm grade-specific chemistry and product requirements. |
| Cu-DHP | Deoxidized high-phosphorus copper. | Phosphorus-deoxidized family | Not automatically suitable for every brazing, tube or pressure application. |
| Cu-DPA / Cu-ATP | Other deoxidized copper designations in the IS 191 map. | Deoxidation family | Use the exact designation; do not shorten it to “OFC” or “copper”. |
Sources: BIS IS 191 product manual and BIS public summary. Cu-DPA and Cu-ATP are kept together in one row to avoid presenting an unverified verbatim table; specify the exact designation in the controlled standard.
Ordering checklist
What to specify when ordering copper
A useful request names the material, form and evidence. “Copper” alone leaves the supplier to guess the commercial and technical boundary.
| Product | Designation | Standard | Dimensions / form | Conductivity / purity | Temper | Certificate / assay | Commercial spec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathode | Cu-CATH-1/2 or UNS | IS 191, LME or customer standard | Plate/bundle and mass | Cu %, conductivity | As applicable | MTC, brand, lot | Origin, delivery, packing |
| Wire rod | Cu-ETP/FRHC or UNS | IS 12444 / ASTM B49 / customer | Diameter, coil | IACS, Cu %, oxygen | As drawn/annealed | MTC, tests | Quantity, premium, delivery |
| Busbar / strip | Grade or UNS | IS 1897 or drawing | Width × thickness, length, holes | IACS, Cu % | Soft/half-hard/hard | MTC, dimensional report | Plating, edge, packing |
| Tube | Grade / UNS | IS 1545 / 2501 / 14810 / 10773 | OD, wall, length, coil/straight | Cu %, cleanliness | Annealed/hard | MTC, pressure/eddy-current tests | End use, delivery |
| Wire | Grade / UNS | IS 4412 or customer standard | Gauge, coil, insulation if any | IACS, Cu %, surface | Annealed/hard | MTC, test certificate | Packaging, tolerance |
| Scrap | Agreed scrap category | Buyer/ReMA or contract spec | Form and preparation | Assay/payable Cu | Not usually applicable | Assay, photos, contamination record | Deductions, moisture, freight |
For MCX or LME delivery, add the exchange contract, approved brand/warehouse and current delivery rule. An exchange-delivery label is not a blanket domestic product equivalence.
Direct BIS catalogue records checked
These catalogue links were checked for standard number/year consistency on 31 August 2026. IS 10773 is intentionally flagged because current catalogue and legacy QCO references can differ.
| Standard | Direct catalogue record | Reference shown |
|---|---|---|
| IS 12444 | BIS LIMS record | 2020 |
| IS 613 | BIS LIMS record | 2000 |
| IS 4171 | BIS LIMS record | 1983 |
| IS 1897 | BIS LIMS record | 2008 |
| IS 1545 | BIS LIMS record | 1994 |
| IS 2501 | BIS LIMS record | 1995 |
| IS 14810 | BIS LIMS record | 2000 |
| IS 10773 | BIS LIMS record | Catalogue surfaces 2025; legacy 1995 |
| IS 4412 | BIS LIMS record | 1981 |
OFC wording to use carefully
OFC is an oxygen-free copper family. It is not a complete procurement designation. “OFC” alone is insufficient: ask for the full UNS number (such as C10100 or C10200), chemistry limits, product form, temper, dimensions and governing standard. The CDA pages are international alloy references and do not establish automatic BIS equivalence.