Features of Copper
Copper: A Testament to Durability
Corrosion-Resistant
While most metals corrode and break down with the passage of time, copper is highly corrosion-resistant. The strength of copper can be clearly witnessed in comparison to steel. In an experiment undertaken to learn the durability of cooper versus steel, a 1mm thick plate of both metals were placed in water. The results showed it would take 197 years for copper to corrode while the steel plate developed a hole after only six years.
Other examples of copper's durability include:
- It is said that there are remains of a water supply pipe made of copper, still intact today that was used in the temples of Apsil in ancient Egypt — some 5,000 years old.
- A 33.4 cm-long copper sword from the Bronze age, now in the custody of the National Museum of Korea, was excavated in the areas of Songguk-ri, Chochon-myeon, Buyeo-gun, south of the Chungcheong province. A Honyeong-style 33.3 cm-long copper sword, now in the custody of the Gyeongju National Museum, was also excavated in Jindong-ri, Jindong-myeon, Uichang-gun, south of the Gyeongsang province. Both swords were known to be manufactured in the 4th or 5th century B.C.
- Copper is a metal that forms a thin film the moment it comes into contact with moisture or water, in order to protect its own surface. A U.S. study revealed that the phosphorus deoxidized copper plates used in a 20-year-old house as roofing material would resists corrosion up to 1,300 years.
Malleability of Copper
Of all of the metal in the world, next to gold and silver, copper can be forged the broadest, thinnest, and longest. Copper plates, 0.03mm thinner than paper, are used in circuit boards of a wide range of electronic goods. Because of the superb ductility of copper, it is used as a material for cartridge cases of rifle bullets and cannonballs. Copper can also be welded into all kinds of metals except aluminum. Copper is the best material for making cast products. Statues, faucet or other types of valves, door locks and other daily goods are also made of this metal.
Alloy Features
Copper is generally divided into pure copper and copper alloy. Pure copper is commercialized and used as a material to make copper alloy. Copper alloys, meanwhile, is produced for special purposes since its mechanical and physical properties can be controlled.
The materials used in aircraft or rockets are required to be lightweight, but heat-resistant. In such cases, the metals with the properties that best meet the requirements best are used. If such materials cannot be found, however, a new alloy must be developed. In fact, it is possible to produce an alloy that mixes the best properties from all metals.
Conductivity
Metals, by nature, can conduct electricity and heat. At zero degrees Fahrenheit, silver has the greatest conductivity, but silver's cost makes it not a very practical metal for widespread use. Copper, meanwhile, has the second greatest conductivity, thus being used widely where good conductivity is required.
Thermal conductivity should be based on conductivity and specific heat, the amount of heat required to raise the unit weight body temperature by one degree. Copper has great thermal conductivity, nine times that of steel and 24 times stainless steel. Therefore, it is the most suitable material in manufacturing heating pipes, pipes for boilers, or heat exchanges.
