Scrapyard Item Question

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Drove an hour to a scrapyard last week since the one 10 min away closed (Get it while you can!). Saw a new item in the scrap pile. It was what appeared to be multistrand copper wire, approximately 1/4" in diameter, surrounded by a 1.5" square, very poor casting of heavy metal. The casting was extremely "bubbly" and irregular. There was also a broken section that showed extremely course grain structure radiating out from the center wire and perhaps some purple oxidation. Any ideas on what this is?

[Dusty Bannister]

I have some lead shielded wire with multiple strands of insulated wire. Older stuff, that has been paper wrapped with some type of wax for added protection. Generally clean unless it was shorted out and the wrap opened from the energy released. Purple color might suggest high temperature. That might affect the lead surrounding the cable. Coarse grain might result from movement of the item while hot, like an ingot that fractures when dropped before it is solid. Guessing of course.

[nun2kute]

sounds to me like some kind of home - made ground wire splice. but I wouldn't know why they'd do that. hard to tell without pictures. all I can suggest is to drop it on concrete, listen if it goes thud or ping. I have read that lead (molten) will turn pretty colors, but ?? oxidization ??. I think i'd just leave it at the scrap yard.

[rancher1913]

phone company lead shielded wire.

[samari46]

Some electrostatic electrical cables actually have different wraps inside the cable so that electrostatic oil can actually be pumped through the cable run as to keep the cable cool. The oil being pumped through the cable acts like antifreeze in your car as it circulates the oil. Either that or what you may have is either a commercial grounding cable or a home made one. But usually no wraps within a ground cable. Purple may suggest that it came off a transformer that went out of service or boom. Frank

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Forgot to mention there was probably 8-10 ft of it broken into 2-3 ft sections maybe 50+ lbs worth. It did look like it had been buried. Perhaps the porosity was due to being cast in place? And the crystals from very slow cooling from the dirt insulation?

[samari46]

Could also be a thermite copper welded attachment from the wire to the fitting. Thermite weldeding is used to weld sections pf railroad track together and then ground down to conform to the rest of the track. The thermite copper welding is used to join sections of grounding cable, electrical connections. I've seen the thermite welding done on new construction where it will be direct buried like ground connections. Usually what is joined by the thermite process is put in a carbon mold, a thermite powder put into the mold and ignited with a torch and starts burning. When done the mold is taken apart and the two pieces of copper wire are now one. Frank

[Rich/WIS]

Possibly an anode, find them sometimes on old steel gas pipes, anode is sacrificial and intended to protect the pipe.

[Conditor22]

look like any of these?
before


after

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Nothing like that. I've seen plenty of sheathed cable. This was around 1.5-2" square.