![]() ![]() GeologyĬopper is present in the Earth's crust at a proportion of about 50 parts per million (ppm). A layer of green copper carbonate, also known as verdigris, is often seen on old copper structures such as roofing on older buildings. This metal does not react with water, but will react with atmospheric oxygen to form a layer of brown-black copper oxide which protects the underlying metal from further corrosion. Having a red-orange color with a metallic luster, copper is one of a few metallic elements that isn't gray or silver. CharacteristicsĬopper, gold, and silver are in group 11 of the periodic table they are characterized by high ductility, and electrical and thermal conductivity. The energy-efficient process Flash Smelting, first developed and applied in Finland in 1949, accounts for 50% of the world's primary copper production. The introduction of open pit steam shovel mining and innovations in refining, flotation concentration and other processing steps led to mass production. The United States produced between one third and one half the world's newly mined copper during the rise in demand for copper between the Age of Electricity and the Great Depression, spanning the 1880s to the 1930s. Copper was used in medical and health applications in ancient India and Egypt. The cultural role of copper is especially prominent in the form of currency. Copper metallurgy thrived in South America around 1000 AD. It was first mined in ancient Britain as early as 2100 BC. Formerly termed the Chalcolithic period (copper-stone), the transition between the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age came with the use of copper tools with stone tools.Ĭopper was an important resource for the Romans, Greeks and other ancient peoples. Copper smelting was independently invented in multiple locations around the globe a early as 2800 BCE.Īlloying copper with tin to make bronze began about 4000 years after the discovery of copper smelting. Known to some of the oldest civilizations on earth, the history of copper use dates back to 9000 BCE. Copper was also the first metal to be purposefully alloyed with other metals like tin to create bronze in around 3500 BCE. ![]() 5000 BCE copper was the first metal to be smelted from sulfide ores, in 4000 BCE it was the first metal cast in a mold. Human use of copper dates back to as early as c. Expressed as the symbol Cu, and the atomic number 29, this chemical element is one of the few metals that exists in a naturally directly usable metallic form - most other metals need to be refined and extracted from host minerals. These alloys include cupronickel and sterling silver, which are used to make jewelry, coins, hardware, and more. Additionally, copper is often used as a constituent of various alloys. These properties make it well suited for use in electrical equipment wiring, industrial machinery and building construction, including plumbing. Copper is one of the most versatile and important metals of the modern age.Ĭopper is a soft, ductile, and malleable metal with high levels of electrical and thermal conductivity. ![]()
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