Y en segundo lugar, a paliar los potenciales efectos de la sustituci\u00f3n del cobre por otros metales menos eficientes, como aluminio y fibra \u00f3ptica cuando el costo del mineral sube, explica Miguel \u00c1ngel Dur\u00e1n, director de la Escuela de Miner\u00eda y Recursos Naturales de la Universidad Central. Por otro lado, el grafeno no ser\u00eda un problema en el mediano plazo porque a\u00fan no puede fabricarse a escala industrial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n El gran caballo de batalla para revertir este escenario es otorgar valor agregado al commodity a partir de sus propiedades bactericidas, las que fueron aprobadas formalmente en 2008 por la Agencia de Protecci\u00f3n Ambiental de Estados Unidos (EPA en ingl\u00e9s), que certific\u00f3 m\u00e1s de 270 aleaciones posibles. Este hito fue el puntapi\u00e9 inicial para dar curso a una nueva industria.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hasta hace poco m\u00e1s de seis a\u00f1os, al cobre s\u00f3lo se le reconoc\u00eda las propiedades de conductividad y flexibilidad. De hecho, el 60% de los usos actuales del metal rojo siguen estando liderados por la transmisi\u00f3n de electricidad, telecomunicaciones, motores, sistemas de refrigeraci\u00f3n, aleaciones, construcci\u00f3n y equipos electr\u00f3nicos -chips, conexiones, transformadores y circuitos-.<\/p>\n La resoluci\u00f3n de la EPA marc\u00f3 un antes y un despu\u00e9s para el cobre, que ven\u00eda trabajando desde hace a\u00f1os en demostrar sus ventajas para eliminar pat\u00f3genos en poco tiempo. De hecho, a inicios de la d\u00e9cada del noventa, debi\u00f3 enfrentar acusaciones de un posible da\u00f1o a la salud que generaba su uso, entre otras, vertidas por la Organizaci\u00f3n Mundial de la Salud, que, incluso, lo lleg\u00f3 a comparar con el asbesto (se us\u00f3 como aislante t\u00e9rmico en construcciones; fue prohibido a fines de los setenta en Estados Unidos).<\/p>\n Gonzalo Rivas, presidente del Consejo de Innovaci\u00f3n para la Competitividad, recuerda que a partir de aquello, el Gobierno, a trav\u00e9s del Ministerio de Hacienda, entreg\u00f3 US$ 1 mill\u00f3n al a\u00f1o para estudios que comprobaran las ventajas del cobre. Reci\u00e9n en 2003, con resultados sobre la mesa, se pudo demostrar su propiedad antimicrobiana, lo que contribuy\u00f3 a cimentar lo que se est\u00e1 materializando hoy.<\/p>\n En el mundo, y en particular en Chile, existe una nueva generaci\u00f3n de productos que est\u00e1n acercando el cobre a las personas. Hern\u00e1n Sierralta, consultor senior de International Copper Association (ICA), que re\u00fane a 37 miembros que representan casi un 80% de la producci\u00f3n mundial de cobre, se\u00f1ala que al a\u00f1o se invierten m\u00e1s de US$ 5 millones en investigaci\u00f3n y desarrollo (I+D) para nuevas soluciones.<\/p>\n En el pa\u00eds, uno de los primeros en esta batalla fue Codelco, que a fines de 2007 cre\u00f3 INCuBA, con el fin de incrementar el consumo del cobre con la creaci\u00f3n de emprendimientos e I+D que diversificaran su uso. As\u00ed naci\u00f3 uno de los m\u00e1s exitosos: Ecosea Farming. Junto a otros socios como ICA, en 2011 lanzaron al mar las primeras jaulas con aplicaciones de cobre para la industria salmonera, m\u00e1s resistentes y con propiedades bactericidas y virucidas. Son 100% reciclables, previenen el escape de peces, no necesitan cambio de malla por cinco a\u00f1os, y reduce los da\u00f1os, estr\u00e9s y mortalidad del salm\u00f3n. Eduardo Foix, director de Desarrollo de Mercados de Codelco, explica que han logrado insertar 600 toneladas de cobre al mercado y est\u00e1n en plena fase de internacionalizaci\u00f3n, yad portasde firmar contratos para instalar mallas de cobre en Canad\u00e1 y Asia. Adem\u00e1s, dise\u00f1aron el primer prototipo de jaulas para otra especie: la seriola, en Caldera, en la Regi\u00f3n de Atacama. \u00c9stas -a diferencia de las salmoneras- est\u00e1n instaladas a mar abierto, lo que significa que son monitoreadas y controladas de manera remota para adaptarse a los cambios de oleaje y del viento. Una tecnolog\u00eda que ha requerido mucha investigaci\u00f3n, explica el ejecutivo, ya que es el primer sistema que se fabrica \u201coffshore\u201d y de manera remota, para una especie que tiene hasta cinco veces el valor del salm\u00f3n, lo que abre su uso en otras partes del mundo. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tambi\u00e9n abrieron el nicho textil. En 2011, lanzaron junto a Monarch, InnovaChile de Corfo y Copper Andino, los primeros calcetines con fibras de cobre que eliminan hongos, olores, infecciones bacterianas y mejoran la cicatrizaci\u00f3n de heridas. Luis Am\u00e9stica, cofundador de Copper Andino, comenta que partieron comercializando 300 mil pares y este a\u00f1o esperan sobrepasar el mill\u00f3n. La marca ha extendido el uso del metal rojo a mini medias, ropa interior y camisetas. Y han surgido otras compa\u00f1\u00edas que se han sumado a esta tendencia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n En ese mismo a\u00f1o, Copper Andino, Codelco y Arauco aplicaron part\u00edculas de cobre en la superficie de tableros melaminizados. As\u00ed surgi\u00f3 melamina Vesto, que hoy representa 20% del total de las ventas de tableros realizadas desde el pa\u00eds. En Arauco se\u00f1alan que se comercializa en Chile, Per\u00fa, Colombia, M\u00e9xico y algunos pa\u00edses de Centroam\u00e9rica, como Guatemala y Costa Rica, con una producci\u00f3n que alcanza los 20.000 m3\/mes. Para este a\u00f1o, proyectan facturar US$ 77 millones en esta l\u00ednea y llegar a los US$ 90 millones en 2015. La gran novedad, es que por primera vez comenzaron a fabricar la melamina fuera de Chile, espec\u00edficamente en la planta de Z\u00e1rate, en Argentina.<\/p>\n Jaulas de cobre.<\/em><\/p>\n Pese a los resultados, Codelco decidi\u00f3 a fines de 2013 reformular INCuBA y transformarlo en \u201cCodelco Lab\u201d, que act\u00faa como una aceleradora de proyectos, el cual ya no es parte de la propiedad del emprendimiento, sino que ayuda a articular los ya existentes para que puedan crecer en el mercado. Eduardo Foix de Codelco se\u00f1ala que se necesitaban muchos recursos para levantar una compa\u00f1\u00eda, lo que reduc\u00eda el nivel de impacto requerido. Hoy, buscan acelerar la llegada de empresas al mercado. Para ello, a inicios de 2015 se trasladar\u00e1n al Centro de Innovaci\u00f3n UC Anacleto Angellini, para apoyar a los 30 proyectos que conforman hoy su cartera. Entre las novedades, est\u00e1n trabajando con la Cl\u00ednica Mayo en un desarrollo para incorporar una delgada capa de cobre en los implantes de titanio que tienen una alta tasa de rechazo. En este caso, el metal rojo ayudar\u00eda a incrementar la aceptaci\u00f3n de la pr\u00f3tesis en el cuerpo y bajar\u00eda las opciones de contagio de enfermedades intrahospitalarias.<\/p>\n Infraestructura y nanotecnolog\u00eda<\/strong><\/p>\n Sus ventajas antimicrobianas han posibilitado el desarrollo en infraestructura, mobiliario, grifer\u00eda y quincaller\u00eda, dando paso a su uso en recintos deportivos y hospitales. Con impulso de la ICA, Codelco, y otras firmas, por ejemplo, hace seis a\u00f1os partieron con la instalaci\u00f3n de cobre en la UCI del Hospital Salvador Allende, en Calama. Se sumaron camas y accesorios de cobre en el Hospital Roberto del R\u00edo. Y hoy ya es posible encontrarlo en recintos hospitalarios en el extranjero, como es el caso del centro de traumatolog\u00eda del Pullman Regional Hospital, en Washington, Estados Unidos, que tiene 29 mil metros cuadrados con cobre, para reducir infecciones.<\/p>\n Esto se suma al centro deportivo Juan Pinto Dur\u00e1n en Santiago, que en mayo pasado, inaugur\u00f3 nuevas instalaciones (camarines, habitaciones del hotel, salas de reuniones y comedor, entre otras) con intervenciones del mineral: mobiliarios, grifer\u00eda, productos textiles, entre otros.<\/p>\n Despu\u00e9s de dos a\u00f1os de exploraci\u00f3n, la firma chilena Nanotec logr\u00f3 dar con formulaciones que permitieron llevar a escala industrial productos con nanopart\u00edculas de cobre para diversos desarrollos. Si bien la idea era suministrar el insumo, dado el poco inter\u00e9s de la industria decidieron hacer ellos mismos las aplicaciones para los clientes, explica Patricio Jarpa, gerente general de la firma. As\u00ed, en 2011 lanzaron tarjetas de cr\u00e9dito y d\u00e9bito con nanopart\u00edculas de cobre y hoy se han ampliado a autoadhesivos antimicrobianos Copper Zone, que se adhiere a distintas superficies para lugares de alto tr\u00e1fico; un film antibacteriano con filtro UV, o esponjas antibacterianas para limpieza junto a Virutex. Comenta que esperaban comercializar 100 mil unidades este a\u00f1o, sin embargo, cumplieron la meta en octubre cuando lanzaron el producto. El ejecutivo, que estima facturar US$ 2 millones este a\u00f1o, explica que a la fecha trabajan en 34 proyectos de nanopart\u00edculas de cobre, en \u00e1mbitos como higiene o construcci\u00f3n, que s\u00f3lo se dar\u00e1n a conocer cuando est\u00e9 la tecnolog\u00eda probada.<\/p>\n El cobre est\u00e1 entrando con fuerza al sector cosm\u00e9tico. Por ejemplo, Brooks, de Empresas Davis, lanz\u00f3 este a\u00f1o un talco y spray Brooks 42K para pies sanos. La compa\u00f1\u00eda se propon\u00eda cerrar 2014 con una participaci\u00f3n de mercado de 2% de la categor\u00eda con este producto, sin embargo, las cifras finales indican que ya la superaron, se\u00f1ala Rodrigo Alles, jefe de marketing de la empresa. Siguen explorando nuevas soluciones y este mes lanzar\u00e1n Brooks 42K Shower Gel, que integra las propiedades del cobre en la higiene personal.<\/p>\n L\u00ednea Vesto con melamina de cobre de Arauco.<\/em><\/p>\n Valor agregado<\/strong><\/p>\n En la multinacional 3M tambi\u00e9n investigan soluciones. Hern\u00e1n Conejeros, gerente t\u00e9cnico de 3M Chile, comenta que tienen un portafolio de proyectos con propiedades bactericidas en el pa\u00eds, el que esperan materializar en los pr\u00f3ximos dos a\u00f1os. Sin embargo, desde la d\u00e9cada del noventa que fabrican terminales y conectores de cobre, de los cuales actualmente se exportan 90 toneladas. Sin embargo, su precio ser\u00eda 30% m\u00e1s bajo si se vendiera sin procesar, lo que refleja la importancia de dar valor agregado al cobre.<\/p>\n Los productos deber\u00edan aumentar, asevera Sierralta, de la ICA. Explica que la entidad maneja una cartera de 11 proyectos de I+D alrededor del mundo en diferentes grados de madurez. En etapa de comercializaci\u00f3n, se encuentran aplicaciones en acuicultura, motores de cobre y cableado para transmisi\u00f3n de datos, mientras que en el desarrollo de productos, destaca el proyecto de disipadores de energ\u00eda s\u00edsmica (un mercado que podr\u00eda utilizar 20 mil toneladas del mineral al a\u00f1o) y el control t\u00e9rmico de bater\u00edas. Agrega, que para 2015, proyectan un presupuesto de m\u00e1s de US$ 7 millones, de los cuales US$ 3 millones son fondos de co-financiamiento de entidades internacionales interesadas por nuevos desarrollos o mejorar tecnol\u00f3gicas alrededor del mundo. S\u00f3lo en acuicultura hay m\u00e1s de 20 entidades haciendo proyectos de I+D, como Mitsubishi Materials, DaeChang, la Armada de Estados Unidos, Mainstream, entre otros.<\/p>\n Las piezas del ajedrez por primera vez se est\u00e1n moviendo y van en la direcci\u00f3n correcta. Chile est\u00e1 liderando con fuerza una batalla para defender su principal industria con presupuestos concretos y nuevos productos, los que ya est\u00e1n saliendo al extranjero. Es de esperar que se sumen m\u00e1s empresas, el portafolio de productos se ampl\u00ede y el n\u00famero de consumidores crezca cada vez m\u00e1s para lograr la anhelada diversificaci\u00f3n productiva.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Copper is experiencing a breath of fresh air. At a time when the exportation of cathodes and concentrates of the red metal have become the main source of income in Chile, a new industry is emerging: value-added copper. This is being done by incorporating copper as the raw material of a number of products, ranging from furnishings, infrastructure, cleaning articles, textiles, cosmetics and even medical supplies.<\/p>\n This change of direction is a direct response to some crucial issues facing the country. Firstly, the need to diversify the copper-based export basket \u2013 Chile is the biggest global exporter of the mineral, with 32% of the world market. This diversification is being done to avoid overdependence on the metal. The practice of the value of copper being traded on the London Metal Exchange (the LME) means the price projection of the red metal largely determines the Chilean national budget.<\/p>\n Secondly, as Miguel \u00c1ngel Dur\u00e1n, Director of the School of Mining and Natural Resources at the Central University points out, there is also a need to reduce the potential effects of copper being substituted for other, less efficient, metals, such as aluminum, and fiber optics, following rises in its price. On the other hand, graphene will not pose a problem in the medium term, because it still cannot be manufactured on an industrial scale.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The great sticking point in reversing this scenario is to find ways of providing added value to the commodity based on its antimicrobial properties. These properties were officially approved in 2008 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which certified over 270 possible alloys. This landmark was the spark which ignited a new industry. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Until a little more than six years ago, copper was only known for its properties of conductivity and flexibility. In fact, 60% of its current use still relates to the transmission of electricity, telecommunication, engines, refrigeration systems, alloys, construction and electronic equipment \u2013 chips, connections, transformers and circuits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The EPA ruling marked a before and after for copper. Prior to the 2008 certification, work had been conducted for years to show the advantages of the red metal in eliminating pathogens over a short period of time. In fact, at the beginning of the 1990s, it had to confront accusations of its possible detrimental effects to health. Such claims were raised by, among others, the World Health Organization, which compared it to asbestos (which was used as a thermal insulator in buildings, but was banned by the United States in the late 1970s).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gonzalo Rivas, President of the Innovation for Competitiveness Council, recalls that it was from this moment that the Government, though the Ministry of Finance, began providing US$1 million per year for research into the benefits of copper. In 2003, with the results available, the antimicrobial properties of copper could finally be demonstrated. This helped to lay the foundations for the events of today.<\/p>\n Around the world, and particularly in Chile, there is a new generation of products helping to bring copper closer to the general public. Hern\u00e1n Sierralta, senior consultant at the International Copper Association (ICA), a body that unites 37 member companies representing almost 80% of global copper production, says that more than US$5 million is invested in research and development (R+D) every year for new solutions.<\/p>\n In Chile, one of the first actors to participate in this area was Codelco. At the end of 2007, the company created INCuBA, to increase copper consumption by creating entrepreneurs and R+D to diversify the use of the red metal. This is how one of the most famous examples came about: Ecosea Farming. In conjunction with other partners like ICA, in 2011 the first cages with copper applications for the salmon industry were thrown into the sea. They are more resistant than traditional cages and contain antimicrobial and antiviral properties. In addition, they are 100% recyclable, they prevent fish from escaping, they do not require netting to be replaced every five years, and they reduce the harm, stress and mortality of salmon. Eduardo Foix, Director of Market Development at Codelco, explains that they have successfully incorporated 600 tons of copper into the market and are currently in the process of foreign expansion, on the verge of signing contracts to install copper netting in Canada and Asia. Furthermore, they have designed the first prototype cage for a different species: the seriola amberjack, in Caldera, in the Atacama Region. These nets, unlike in the salmon industry, are deployed in the open sea, meaning their monitoring and control is done remotely, to adapt to the changes of the tide and wind. This technology has required in-depth research, says Foix, because it is the first system built offshore and remotely, and it relates to a species up to five times more valuable than the salmon. This, he notes, has opened the technology up to other parts of the world.<\/p>\n Another niche area has been opened up in the textile industry. In 2011, InnovaChile, from CORFO, and Copper Andina, in conjunction with Monarch, launched the first socks made with copper fibers. These fibers help eliminate fungi, odors, bacterial infections and improve wound healing. Luis Am\u00e9stica, co-founder of Copper Andino, explains that they began by marketing 300,000 pairs, and have this year surpassed one million. The brand has expanded into using copper in stockings, underwear, shirts and t-shirts. Other companies have also emerged in this area.<\/p>\n In the same year, Copper Andino, Codelco and Arauco began applying copper particles to the surfaces of melamine boards. This led to the creation of the company Melamina Vesto, which currently represents 20% of all sales of worktops in Chile. Arauco says that these worktops are marketed in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and certain Central American countries, like Guatemala and Costa Rica, with production of up to 20,000m3 per month. This year, they have projected revenue of US$77 million for this range, and anticipate US$90 million for 2015. The big novelty is that for the first time, melamine is now manufactured outside Chile, specifically in the Z\u00e1rate plant, in Argentina.<\/p>\n Copper Cages.<\/em><\/p>\n Despite these results, in 2013 Codelco decided to reform INCuBA and transform it into \u201cCodelco Lab\u201d, which acts as a project accelerator. It is no longer part of the endeavor, but it helps to establish existing projects with potential for market growth. Eduardo Foix, from Codelco, says that significant resources were needed to get the company started, reducing the required level of impact. Today, they are seeking to accelerate the arrival of companies to the market. To achieve this, at the beginning of 2015 they will move to the Anacleto Angelini UC Innovation Center, to provide support to the 30 projects that make up its current portfolio. Among the new projects, they are working with the Mayo Clinic in developing a thin copper film for titanium implants with high rates of rejection. In this case, the red metal would help to increase the adoption of prosthetics in the body and would lower the risks of contracting intra-hospital infections.<\/p>\n Infrastructure and nanotechnology<\/strong><\/p>\n The antimicrobial benefits of copper have facilitated its development in infrastructure, furnishings, bathroom fittings and hardware, clearing the way for its use in sports facilities and hospitals. With impetus from ICA, Codelco and other companies, copper began to be installed in the ICU of the Salvador Allende Hospital, in Calama six years ago. Copper beds and fittings were then installed in the Roberto del R\u00edo Hospital. Today, the red metal can be also found in foreign hospital facilities, as is the case in the trauma center of the Pullman Regional Hospital in Washington State, in the United States, which has 29,000m2 of copper installed, for reducing infections.<\/p>\n Similarly, last May the Juan Pinto Dur\u00e1n sports center in Santiago inaugurated new copper facilities (dressing rooms, hotel rooms, meeting rooms and the dining room, among others) in furnishings, bathroom fittings, textile products, etc.<\/p>\n Following two years of investigation, the Chilean company Nanotec successfully came up with formulas allowing products with copper nanoparticles to be produced on an industrial scale, for a number of different developments. While the idea was to provide the materials, as Patricio Jarpa, General Manager of the company explains, given the low levels of interest within the industry, they decided to make their own applications for clients. As such, in 2011 they launched credit and debit cards with copper nanoparticles, and today have broadened into antimicrobial Copper Zone self-adhesives, which stick to different surfaces in locations with heavy traffic. They have also developed an antibacterial film with a UV filter, and antibacterial cleaning sponges, in conjunction with Virutex. Jarpa says that, although they expected to market 100,000 units this year, their target was actually met in October, when the product was launched. The executive, who expects revenue of US$2 million this year, explains that they are currently working on 34 copper nanoparticle projects, in areas from hygiene and cleanliness to construction. However, they will only be launched, he says, once the technology has been proven.<\/p>\n Copper is also beginning to make an impact on the cosmetics industry. For example, Brooks, from Empresas Davis, this year launched a talcum powder and spray, Brooks 42K, for healthy feet. The company envisages closing the year with a 2% share of the market in this product category. Nevertheless, final figures indicate that this goal will be surpassed, according to Rodrigo Alles, Head of Marketing at the company. They continue to search for new solutions, and this month they will launch Brooks 42K Shower Gel, which combines the properties of copper with personal hygiene.<\/p>\n Line Vesto melamine copper Arauco.<\/em><\/p>\n Value-added<\/strong><\/p>\n Solutions are also being sought at the multinational firm 3M. Hern\u00e1n Conejeros, Technical Manager at 3M Chile, says that his company has a portfolio of projects in Chile relating to antibacterial properties, which they hope to launch over the next two years. However, the company has manufactured copper terminals and connectors since the 1990s, with current exports accounting for 90 tons. Nevertheless, their price would be 30% lower if they were sold unprocessed, reflecting the importance of ensuring added value to copper.<\/p>\n Product numbers should increase, says Sierralta, from the ICA. He explains that the ICA manages a portfolio of 11 R+D projects around the world, in different stages of development. Among those in the marketing stage are applications to aquaculture, copper engines and wiring for data transmission. In the product development stage is the notable example of a seismic energy dissipater project (a market that could use up to 20,000 tons of copper a year), as well as one relating to thermal control batteries. He adds that, for 2015, they project a budget of over US$7 million, of which US$3 million are co-financing funds from international bodies interested in new developments and technological improvements from around the world. Only in aquaculture are there more than 20 organizations undertaking R+D projects, such as Mitsubishi Materials, DaeChang, the US Army, and Mainstream, among others.<\/p>\n The chess pieces are being moved on the board for the first time, and they are heading in the right direction. Chile is providing strong leadership in a battle to defend its primary industry, with the implementation of concrete budgets and new projects, which are already moving abroad. It is hoped that the number of businesses involved continues to grow, along with an expansion of the product portfolio and a rise in consumer numbers. This way, the necessary product diversification can be achieved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n Nuevos aires vive el cobre. En momentos en que la exportaci\u00f3n de c\u00e1todos y concentrados del metal rojo se han transformado en la principal billetera de Chile, una nueva industria se est\u00e1 gestando: los usos del mineral con valor agregado, incorpor\u00e1ndolo como materia prima en productos mobiliarios, infraestructura, art\u00edculos de aseo, textil, cosm\u00e9tica y hasta como insumo m\u00e9dico.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nuevos aires vive el cobre. En momentos en que la exportaci\u00f3n de c\u00e1todos y concentrados del metal rojo se han transformado en la principal billetera de Chile, una nueva industria se est\u00e1 gestando: los usos del mineral con valor agregado, incorpor\u00e1ndolo como materia prima en productos mobiliarios, infraestructura, art\u00edculos de aseo, textil, cosm\u00e9tica y hasta como insumo m\u00e9dico.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_tax":[],"user_type":[],"class_list":["post-5297","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/sites\/default\/files\/IMG_0758.jpg\")
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