man. It's use dates back to prehistoric
times. Copper has been mined for more
than 10,000 years with a Copper
pendant found in current day Iraq
being dated to 8700BC. By 5000BC
Copper was being smelted from simple
Copper Oxides.
Copper is found as native metal and in
minerals cuprite, malachite, azurite,
chalcopyrite and bornite. It is also
often a by-product of silver production.
Sulphides, oxides and carbonates are
the most important ores.
Copper and Copper alloys are some of
the most versatile engineering
materials available. The combination of
physical properties such as strength,
conductivity, corrosion resistance,
machinability and ductility make
copper suitable for a wide range of
applications. These properties can be
further enhanced with variations in
composition and manufacturing
methods.
The largest end use for Copper is in the
building industry. Within the building
industry the use of copper based
materials is broad. Construction
industry related applications for copper
include:
Roofing
Cladding
Rainwater systems
Heating systems
Water pipes and fittings
Oil and gas lines
Electrical wiring
The building industry is the largest
single consumer of copper alloys. The
following list is a breakdown of copper
consumption by industry on an annual
basis:
Building industry – 47%
Electronic products - 23%
Transportation - 10%
Consumer products - 11%
Industrial machinery - 9%
There are around 370 commercial
compositions for copper alloys. The
most common grade tends to be C106/
CW024A - the standard water tube
grade of copper.
World consumption of copper and
copper alloys now exceeds 18 million
tonnes per annum.
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