If you are thinking of investing in copper, this article looks at what copper is, the different types of copper alloys and the most common uses of copper in everyday life.
What is copper?
Copper is a metallic element, symbol Cu, that comes 29th on the Periodic Table. The metal is soft, malleable and ductile with high electrical and thermal conductivity.
In nature, it can occur as a native metal which is why society started using it 10,000 years ago. It also occurs as sulphides and other minerals in various copper ores.
Are there different types of copper?
There are several different types of “pure” copper along with many copper alloys. While they are all at least 99.3% pure, they also contain up to 0.7% impurities which have a significant impact on their properties.
- High conductivity copper (HC) is electrolytically refined and contains at least 99.90% copper
- Oxygen-free high-conductivity copper (OFHC) contains virtually no oxygen making it better for welding and brazing
- Certified oxygen-free high-conductivity copper is the purest form of copper in general use and contains 99.99% copper and is used in high vacuum applications
- Free machining copper has 0.5% sulphur or tellurium which raises its machinability (the ease with which a metal can be cut) by over 400%
- De-oxidised copper is refined by the addition of phosphorus to the melt. It has excellent brazing properties and is the form of copper used in plumbing and architectural applications.
Copper alloys
There are also many copper alloys which combine copper with various alloying agents including tin, phosphorus, zinc, nickel and aluminium. Some of the more common copper alloys are:
- Bronze = copper and tin
- Brass = copper and zinc
- Copper nickel = copper and nickel
- Nickel silver = copper, nickel and zinc
What are the most common uses of copper?
Copper is one of the most useful metals on the planet. It has unique properties that make it vital for many applications:
1. Electronics
Copper’s high electrical and thermal conductivity along with its easy processing and solderability make it the ideal material for the electrical connectors and heat sinks on printed circuit boards (PCBs). It is also used in integrated circuits, waveguides and many other electronics applications.
2. Cables, wiring, electric motors and transformers
Nearly all electrical cable and wiring applications rely on copper where its high electrical conductivity and other physical properties make it the ideal choice. These properties also make it the perfect choice for electric motors and transformer windings.
3. Plumbing
Even the ancient Egyptians installed copper plumbing systems; today, nearly all domestic plumbing and central heating systems are based on copper pipes and tanks. It is easy to cut, bend, join and is entirely unaffected by hot water.
4. Architecture
Copper’s durability, corrosion resistance, and appearance underpin its application in architecture. Since ancient times it has been a feature of buildings often used to clad domes and spires.
5. Biological applications
Copper is both bio-static and antimicrobial and is used extensively to discourage and destroy micro organisms.
Investing in copper
If you want to learn more about investing in copper or how the copper mining process works, then please click on the links.
