Copper tubing

An extrudate product in the form of a continuous, seamless, copper tube having a mass of about 500 kilograms, the extrudate product being made by a method of producing copper tubing, comprising:

• a) providing a continuous extrusion apparatus including:
• 1) a die top;
• 2) an exit aperture provided in the die top for receiving a rod of copper feedstock, the exit aperture having a cross-sectional area in excess of substantially twice a radial cross-sectional area of a respective groove in a rotatable wheel, and the respective exit aperture smoothly leading to a passage of minimum length to connect to an annular extrusion die;
• and
• 3) the respective exit apertures smoothly leading to the passage of minimum length combining two flows of an extrudate, in use, at a pressure only slightly lower than the pressure obtaining in an extrusion material in a respective groove immediately adjacent the respective exit apertures, so that, in use, a resultant extrusion temperature at the annular extrusion die is approximately 750° C.;
• b) feeding continuous rods of copper feedstock to each of the circumferential grooves;
• c) rotating the rotatable wheel;
• and
• d) extruding the feedstock through the exit apertures and passages and then from the annular extrusion die to form the continuous, seamless, cooper tube having a mass of about 500 kilograms and having an extrusion temperature of approximately 750° C.