What is the difference between electrolytic copper powder and pure copper powder?

Electrolytic copper powder is purple red and very pure. Generally, copper powder is red or light yellow and contains impurities such as zinc and silver.

Electrolytic purification of copper: Coarse copper (containing 99% copper) is pre made into thick plates as anodes, pure copper is made into thin sheets as cathodes, and a mixture of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and copper sulfate (CuSO4) is used as the electrolyte. After being electrified, copper dissolves from the anode into copper ions (Cu) and moves towards the cathode, where it obtains electrons and precipitates pure copper (also known as electrolytic copper). Impurities in crude copper, such as iron and zinc, which are more reactive than copper, will dissolve together with copper into ions (Zn and Fe). Since these ions are less likely to precipitate compared to copper ions, adjusting the potential difference appropriately during electrolysis can prevent these ions from precipitating on the anode. Impurities such as gold and silver, which are less reactive than copper, deposit at the bottom of the electrolytic cell. The copper plate produced in this way is called "electrolytic copper", which has extremely high quality and can be used to make electrical products.

The preparation process of pure copper powder is generally based on electrolytic copper plates as raw materials, melted and prepared by atomization method. The spherical powder has a particle size of tens to hundreds of microns, similar to electrolytic copper, but with a spherical shape. If used as a coating, spherical copper powder should be better.