Copper

Do you know, apart from gold, copper is the only metal whose natural colour is not silver or grey? Yes, it’s true. Copper (Cu) is a chemical element that is a reddish, extremely ductile metal that is an unusually good conductor of electricity and heat. Copper is found in nature in its free metallic state.

Copper has high demand due to the vast application, world production of copper amounts to 12 million tons a year and exploitable reserves are around 300 million tons, which are expected to last for only another 25 years. About 2 million tons a year are reclaimed by recycling. Today copper is mined as major deposits in Chile, Indonesia, USA, Australia and Canada, which together account for around 80% of the world’s copper. 

Properties of Copper and it’s uses

Copper is corrosion resistant, non-magnetic, it alloys easily with other metals and is a tough metal. For these reasons, Copper is  rightly the world’s third-most-used industrial metal, trailing only iron and aluminum. Three-quarters of copper is used in the production of electrical wires, telecommunication cables, and electronics.