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When I'm sorting my pennies the 1982s all go into one pile. From there, I heat them with a propane torch until they either start to glow red or melt. Obviously the red ones are copper.

Here's what I don't understand. The melting point of copper is below 2000 degrees. A propane torch without oxygen burns at around 3500 degrees. I can torch a copper penny until it is soft as chewing gum, but it will never melt. Why is that?

Number21 wrote:When I'm sorting my pennies the 1982s all go into one pile. From there, I heat them with a propane torch until they either start to glow red or melt. Obviously the red ones are copper.

Here's what I don't understand. The melting point of copper is below 2000 degrees. A propane torch without oxygen burns at around 3500 degrees. I can torch a copper penny until it is soft as chewing gum, but it will never melt. Why is that?

This is because copper is extremely efficient at heat transfer; more so then steel, aluminum, and much more then zinc (roughly 4x as much).

Number21 wrote:.......... but it will never melt. Why is that?

Because it's illegal for them to melt(gov't conspiracy). As soon as the melt ban is lifted, a torch should melt them just fine.

Laws and that garbage aside......Your better off turning all 82's back into the wild rather than heating them up. That Zinc can kill yeah.

Number21 wrote:When I'm sorting my pennies the 1982s all go into one pile. From there, I heat them with a propane torch until they either start to glow red or melt. Obviously the red ones are copper.

Here's what I don't understand. The melting point of copper is below 2000 degrees. A propane torch without oxygen burns at around 3500 degrees. I can torch a copper penny until it is soft as chewing gum, but it will never melt. Why is that?

You must have a lot of time on your hands! And the propane is worth more than a small amount of pennies.

The Rodester is right. Don't breathe zink vapors. Almost ALL non-ferrous metal vapor is deadly to inhale to one extent or another.

If you still want to experiment with melting non-ferrous metals, build an enclosed vent hood to suck the vapors away. But, that still will not be enough. The vapors are circulating right around in that general area unless there is a good wind. Better attach a retort to the vent hood, then you can sell the re-captured zink to a scrap yard.

Better than melting, you can separate the two metals via electrolysis. You get pure copper and pure zink if you do it right and all you have to worry about is electrocuting yourself!