Copper was discovered thousands of years ago in the Middle East and was first used as jewelry. Native copper which occurs as a somewhat rare, natural, concentrated form of the metal was found by early tribes and civilizations to be malleable and was used to make better weapons with which to hunt and defend these early peoples. By 3500 BC, copper was smelted in kilns and was alloyed with tin and then zinc to form stronger and better implements. When copper is alloyed with tin, it is called bronze; and when it is combined with zinc, it is called brass. Today, there are over 400 specific alloys that use copper as one of the basic metals.
Copper was eventually replaced by iron as a material for making weapons because iron was stronger and more durable. However, copper found wide use for thousands of years in the Middle East and Africa and eventually in Europe and Asia as a material for ornamentation, to make cooking and serving dishes, as mirrors or reflective surfaces, and to make icons and statues.
More than 5000 years ago the great Egyptian civilizations between 3000 and 1500 BC were particularly fond of copper. The great pyramid of Cheops had copper tube plumbing; and when it was excavated in the past century, the plumbing was still in working condition.
Copper remained an important metal and spread throughout the world to every major continent. By the time Columbus sailed for the New World in the 15th century, copper was used as cladding to cover the bottom of all ships to protect them from bacteria that invaded their hulls. Today, virtually all ships are coated with a copper-based paint below the waterline to keep them from becoming coated with plant life, barnacles, and other marine organisms.
At the time of the American Revolution, Paul Revere, who was a leading Boston metalsmith and a hero of the Revolution, forged many of the spikes, brass cannons and pumps that were used in the making of the American navy ship, "Old Ironsides" (the U.S.S. Constitution). Revere was one of the earliest American coppersmiths, and a major manufacturer of copper kitchenware later named their company "Revereware" after this patriot and craftsman.
Copper has many very important characteristics that have led to its use as a vital component in many industries throughout the world.
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Copper is second only to silver in its ability to conduct electricity (and is far cheaper and more abundant). |
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Copper is biostatic which means bacteria will not grow on it. |
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Copper is essential to human beings as a micronutrient in our diets. It is used by the body to form bone cartilage, tendons and the sheathing around nerves. It is also a critical element in the manufacture of hemoglobin in the blood of higher animals. |
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Copper's melting point is 1,981 degrees Fahrenheit (1,083 Centigrade). |
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Copper is perpetually recyclable, meaning that it can be used over and over again without losing its original form or composition. |
The dawning of the Industrial Age in the late 18th century ushered in a widespread use of electricity. Thomas Edison's discovery that copper was the best metal to conduct electricity caused this abundant metal to be used in every aspect of society.
Today, there are five major markets for copper use in virtually every country in the world: |
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Construction accounts for 40% of the consumption of copper in the U.S., or 2,950,000,000 pounds of copper every year. Primary uses are plumbing and electrical wiring.
Electrical and Electronic Products use some 1,840,000,000 pounds of copper in the U.S. each year, and this represents 24% of all copper consumed. It is important in power generation and all electronic devices and components.
Transportation Equipment including cars, submarines, trains and other forms of transportation, use 950,000,000 pounds of this abundant metal primarily in electrical systems. This represents 13% of the copper market.
Industrial Machinery and Equipment accounts for another 12% of the copper supply, and the 880,000,000 pounds provides a critical element in the manufacture of machinery to make almost everything we eat, wear, ride in, work with and live in.
Consumer and General Products include pennies, cookware, decorations, refrigerators, cash registers, church bells, art and dozens of other products. This last 10% weighs in at a hefty 745,000,000 pounds and represents just one year's worth of pure refined copper.
Copper has established itself as a leader in plumbing, electrical wiring and the generation of electricity, and has been designated for many other applications as well. However, the uses of copper are always being expanded and include the development of a scalpel with a heated copper blade to improve the evenness and effectiveness of this instrument in surgery. Fiber optics appeared to be the communication network of choice for the computer age, but new modems and other features in these electronic wonders have expanded the carrying capacity of copper to meet or exceed the usefulness of fiber optics for carrying electric signals. This has led to an expanded role for copper in the computer age.
Copper is one of the most recycled metals, and currently in the United States alone 50% of the copper content of all new products comes from recycled copper. This percentage increases almost every year.
The average American home built today will consume an average of 400 pounds of copper in its construction.
A child born today will use approximately 1,750 pounds of copper in his or her lifetime in housing, transportation, electrical use and consumer products.
The future growth of technology in virtually every field will rely on copper to provide electricity, communications, transportation and shelter to permit the realization of new ideas. The characteristics of copper will support the growth of these new products and ideas as well.
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The Statue of Liberty, sculpted in France, is plated with 179,000 pounds of copper mined in Norway. |
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A Triton class submarine contains 200,000 pounds of copper, primarily in its electrical generation and storage system. |
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10,000 pounds of copper are used in the manufacture of every Space Shuttle. |
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9,000 pounds of copper go into every Boeing 747 jet aircraft including 120 miles of copper wire. |
Copper — it's found almost everywhere and in almost everything! |
The Uses of Copper 
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