Properties, History and Common Uses of Man's Oldest Metal

Properties

• Copper is extremely malleable and can be formed to almost any shape.
• Copper is an extraordinary conductor of heat and electricity, matched only by pure silver.
• Copper can withstand extremes of temperature, from minus -196° to over 600° C.
• Copper is fully recyclable. The rate of recycling copper is higher than any other known engineering metal.
• Copper is impermeable, meaning that external contaminants cannot pass through it.
• Copper is good for your health. In fact, it’s essential. A copper deficiency can be potentially life threatening and is a leading factor in increased risk of high cholesterol and coronary heart disease.

History

Copper is the oldest known recorded metal used by mankind. A solid copper pendant was found in what is now Northern Iraq. Most geologists agree that this pendant dates back to at least 8700 B.C. Here are some interesting historical facts about copper we bet you didn’t know:

One of the infamous Dead Sea Scrolls found in Israel is made of copper and not of the typical animal skins of the period. This scroll reportedly contains clues to an undiscovered treasure. Archaeologists hypothesize that the writer transposed his writings on a copper tablet to ensure it endured through the centuries.

When archeologists unearthed the contents of the Cheops Pyramid in Egypt, the copper tubing used for the plumbing for the pyramid was still in workable condition, even after 5,000 years!

Christopher Columbus used copper! His three ships which came to America (the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria) had copper skins on the hull where those parts of the ships were below the water line. The copper protected the vessel from warping, rotting and barnacles. To this day, most ships use a copper-based paint for the outside of the hull for the same reasons.

Uses

It would almost be easier to list products and items that DON’T contain or use copper in some way, but just for fun, here’s a list of just some of the way copper touches our lives every single day:

• Electrical wire
• Power cables
• Telephone wiring
• Water pipes
• Plumbing fixtures
• Roofing materials
• Brass furnishings and fixtures (brass is an alloy of copper and zinc)
• Home and office electrical gadgets; computers, iPods, CD and DVD players, radios and televisions
• Bronze furnishings and fixtures (bronze is an alloy of copper and tin)
• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Microwaves
• Washing and drying machines
• Light fixtures
• Wiring for automobiles, trains and planes
• Currency (American coins contain solid copper and copper-nickel alloy)
• Spacecrafts
• Cell Phones
• Cooking Utensils and Pots
• Jewelry
• Elevators
• MRI and CAT scan machines
• Doorknobs and mailboxes
• Grocery scanning devices
• Alarm systems

Care

Copper will acquire a patina (coating) of a soft, velvety green, also called verdigris (shown at right), when left exposed to the elements for long periods. The more humid and moist the environment, the faster the copper will patina. Most people find the verdigris finish appealing and attractive. If you wish to hasten the patina process on your copper pieces, clean the copper thoroughly with a fine grade steel wool. This will remove any residual oils and will make the copper more porous, allowing the moisture to settle on the outside surface.

If you wish to keep your copper bright and shiny, be sure it is coated with a heavy-duty clear lacquer. If the copper is lacquered, you can keep it bright by cleaning it with ingredients found right out of the kitchen. (Lacquer should only be used on non-food related copper items).

Take a bit of table salt, a bit of vinegar and some flour. Make a paste of these ingredients and rub the paste gently onto the lacquered surface with a soft cloth. The paste will remove most dirt and grime without ruining the finish. You can also use concentrated lemon juice in place of the vinegar. If the copper piece is really grimy, let the paste sit for 15 minutes to an hour and then rinse and polish dry.

Little Known Facts

• The Statue of Liberty contains over 179,000 pounds of copper. The weathering and oxidation of the Statue has amounted to just .005 of an inch in over 100 years!

• Hospitals use solid copper and copper alloys on their doorknobs because copper doesn’t transfer disease as easily as other metals.

• Most American homes contain almost 440 pounds of copper.

• Every child born in America will require at least 1500 pounds of copper in his lifetime to maintain a typical middle-class standard of living.

Research taken from the following sources:

Copper Council of New Zealand, May 15, 2006.
West Semitic Research Project, Marilyn J. Lundberg, date unknown.
Copper Development Association, “Copper.org,” May 15, 2006.

Copyright 2006 www.OutdoorDecor.com
Kay Stone, OutdoorDecor.com Staff Writer