copper as a building material

1. Building Material
Science
Copper
Presentation by-
GROUP 7
Khushi Goel
Madhur Bajaj
Shruti Garg
Shubham Malhotra

2. Introduction
● Periodic symbol : Cu
● Atomic number : 29
● Atomic mass : 63.546 u
● Density : 8930 kg/m3.
● Melting point : 1083˚C.
● Boiling point :2927˚C
● Specific Gravity: 8.96 g/cm3
● Thermal Conductivity : 401 W/mk
● Shear Modulus : 48 GPa
● Modulus of Elasticity: 110-128 GPa
● Thermal expansion : 0.0168mm/m/˚C (20-100˚).
● Tensile strength : 210 - 240 N/mm2
● Copper has two stable isotopes 63Cu and 65Cu, as well as a
number of unstable radioactive atoms exists in copper
Raw form of copper Copper Pipes
Copper Wires

3. History
● Copper is one of the oldest metals of mankind. It’s history traces back
over 10,000 years.
● Copper has been an essential material to man since pre-historic times. In
fact, one of the major "ages" or stages of human history is named for a
copper alloy, bronze.
● Copper was the first metal to be mined and crafted by man.
● It was used for tools, weapons, art objects and ornaments.
● Copper was used as early as : 7000 BC to make weapons ,5000 BC to make
jewellery and ornaments due to it’s colour.
● Copper and its many alloys have played an important role in many
civilizations, from the ancient Egyptians, Romans to modern day cultures
around the world.
● It was the copper metals which were used when a combination of strength
and durability was required.
● The ability to resist corrosion ensured that copper, bronze and brass
remained as both functional and decorative materials during the Middle
Ages and the successive centuries through the Industrial Revolution and
on to the present day.
Copper Plate being Hammered
Statue of Liberty is made of Copper
Pre-historic Copper tools

4. Occurrence
Copper is present in the Earth's crust at a concentration of
about 50 parts per million (ppm).
Native copper is found at many locations as a primary
mineral in basaltic lavas and also as reduced from copper
compounds, such as sulfides, arsenides, chlorides, and
carbonates.
Copper occurs combined in many minerals, such as
chalcocite, chalcopyrite, bornite, cuprite, malachite, azurite
and the copper (I) oxide mineral cuprite.
It is present in the ashes of seaweeds, in many sea corals, in
the human liver, and in many mollusks and arthropods.
An almost pure copper sheet formed
between layers of shale.
Malachite with azurite - Cu2
CO3
(OH)2

5. Availability
The ten leading countries in world copper production as of 2019 were :
1. Chile (Chile produces the largest percentage of the world's
copper with nearly 33% of the world's export.)
2. Peru
3. China
4. United States of America
5. Australia
6. Democratic Republic of the Congo
7. Zambia
8. Mexico
9. Russia
10. Kazakhstan.
The major copper mines in India are the :
● Khetri copper belt in Rajasthan
● Singhbhum copper belt in Jharkhand
● Malanjkhand copper belt in Madhya Pradesh

6. Extraction
There are various copper ores available in nature.
A few examples include- copper pyrite (CuFeS2),
cuprite (Cu2O), chalcocite (Cu2S) etc.
Copper is mainly extracted from Copper pyrite.
The main steps of extraction of copper from ores
are:
1. Crushing and concentration
2. Roasting
3. Bessemerisation
4. Refining

7. Crushing and concentration:
At first, copper pyrite is crushed in a crushed in a crusher machine.Then
concentrated by froth flotation process. Oil is used in the froth floatation
process because the ore contains sulphur..
Roasting:
The concentrated ore is heated in the reverberatory furnace (welsh
process). Roasting removes the moisture and volatile materials e.g.
sulphur, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony as their oxides.
Smelting:
I. The roasted ore is mixed with coke and silica (sand) and charged into
the top of the blast furnace.
II. Air is forced through pipes and reaction occurs leading to the
formation of slag and a matte corresponding with the coarse metal of
welsh process.
III. The slag and matte flow into the fore hearth, the slag running away
continuously from an opening in the fore hearth.
IV. Matte is collected from matte hole.
Bessemerisation:
I. The matte is poured into a bessemer converter and a current of air is
forced through it.
II. Air is admitted through ports in an annular pipe above the bottom. The
same reaction occurs as welsh process and copper is produced.
III. Sulphur is burnt of as sulphur oxide,iron passes into the slag as
silicate and arsenic etc.as oxides and sublime.

8. Refining
When copper is made from sulfide ores it is impure. The blister copper is first treated to remove any
remaining sulfur (trapped as bubbles of sulfur dioxide in the copper - hence "blister copper") and then cast
into anodes for refining using electrolysis.
Electrolytic Refining:
By Electrolysis, copper can be refined and made very pure up to 99.999%. Pure copper is important in
making electrical wire, because copper's electrical conductivity is reduced by impurities.
The purification uses an electrolyte of copper(II) sulfate solution, impure copper anodes, and strips of high
purity copper for the cathodes. The diagram shows a very simplified view of a cell.
Chemical reaction :
At cathode : Cu²⁺ + 2e ---->Cu
At anode : Cu - 2e---->Cu²⁺
In the electrolytic refining of copper, the impure metal is made the anode and a thin strip of pure metal is
made the cathode, a solution of the metal salt is used as an electrolyte. on passing the current through the
electrolyte ,the pure metal from the anode dissolves into the electrolyte. an equivalent amount of pure
metal from the electrolyte is deposited on the cathode. the soluble impurities go into the solution, whereas,
the insoluble impurities settle down at the bottom of the anode and are known as anode mud.the chemical
formula of copper in cu

9. Production
Most copper is mined or extracted as copper sulfides from large open pit mines in
porphyry copper deposits that contain 0.4to 1.0% copper.
TYPES OF COPPER
PRODUCTION
SOURCE
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
MADE FROM
CONCENTRATES AND
PRECIPITATES Eg.CEMENT
COPPER
MADE FROM SCRAP
MATERIALS OLD SCRAP
Top Producer of copper
1)Codelco :1,831 million
tonnes
2)Freeport-McMoran:
1.737 million tonnes.
3)Glencore:1.226 million
tonnes.
4)Bhp Billiton:1.113 million
tonnes.
5)Southern
Copper:882,000 tonnes.

10. Physical Properties
Electrical conductivity
Copper has the best electrical conductivity of any common metal
Thermal conductivity
Copper is a good conductor of heat. This leads to applications where rapid heat transfer is required such as heat exchangers
in air conditioning units, vehicle radiators
Ease of joining
Copper can be readily joined by brazing, soldering, bolting or adhesives. In industry, this is very useful for plumbing pipework
and joining busbars, which are vital elements of power distribution systems.
Cars and trucks
A high-purity copper wire harness system carries current from the battery throughout a vehicle to equipment such as lights,
central locking. The average car contains about 1 km of wire.
Pipework
Water- Copper was used by the ancient Egyptians; samples taken from the Pyramids are still in good condition. Today, copper
tube is used for approximately 90% of European and North American hot and cold water supplies in diameters ranging from 6
to 159mm.
Gas-As well as distributing water for domestic plumbing, copper tubes are used to safely convey natural gas to homes and
businesses.
Copper drives modern technology
Without copper there would be a world without electricity: no lighting, TVs, DVD players, iPads, electric kettles, mobiles, washing
machines, fridges, vacuum cleaners, computers, cars, buses, electrified railways, underground transport systems or trams.Cars
and trucks.

11. Chemical Properties
● The copper element is in the same periodic table group as silver and gold. Therefore, it is relatively inert
against chemicals.
● In most of its compounds it can have the valency (oxidation state) of +I or the valency state +II. The
aqueous solutions of copper ions in the oxidation state +II have a blue colour, whereas copper ions in the
oxidation state +I are colourless.
● Copper and copper compounds give a greenish color to a flame.
● Copper sulfate compounds are used to prevent fungus and algae growth in standing water supplies such
as ponds and fountains.
● Copper is a red-orange metal that darkens to a brown color as it is exposed to air. If it is exposed to air and
water, it will form a verdigris of blue-green.
● Copper has an abundance of 80 parts per million in the Earth's crust.
● Copper has an abundance of 2.5 x 10-4 mg/L in sea water.
● Copper sheets were added to the bottom of ships to prevent 'biofouling' where seaweed, assorted other
greenery and barnacles would cling to ships and slow them down. Today, copper is mixed into the paint
used to paint the underside of ships

12. Uses of Copper
INTERIOR
1. Kitchen- utensils, stoves, racks
2. Drawing room -decorative items
3. Bedroom- Wall cladding
4. Toilet- services pipes

13. Uses of Copper
EXTERIOR
1. Wall cladding
2. Roofing
3. Roof top
4. Wall panelling
5. Fencing with pointers

14. Uses of Copper
SERVICES
1. Wires
2. Joints
3. Fasteners
4. vents

15. Applications of Copper as a building material
1. Power transmission lines
2. Plumbing
3. High conductivity wires
4. Heat exchangers
5. Electrodes
6. Spark plugs
t
Meinel optical science building
Ar. Frank o gehry copper fish structure
Copper facade
Interior decorations of copper

16. Alloys of Copper
Brass is the generic term for a
range of copper-zinc alloys
with differing combinations of
properties, including strength,
machinability, ductility,
wear-resistance, hardness.
Bronze alloys are made from
copper and tin, and were the
first to be developed about
four thousand years ago.
They were so important that
they led to a period in time
being named the Bronze Age.
Copper-nickel alloys have
excellent resistance to marine
corrosion. The addition of
nickel to copper improves
strength and corrosion
resistance, but good ductility
is retained.
Nickel silver alloys are made
from copper, nickel and zinc,
and can be regarded as
special brasses. They have an
attractive silvery appearance
rather than the typical brassy
colour.
Gunmetals are alloys of
copper with tin, zinc and lead
and have been used for at
least 2000 years due to their
ease of casting and good
strength and corrosion
resistance
Copper beryllium is the hardest
and strongest of any copper
alloy, in the fully heat treated
and cold worked condition. It is
similar in mechanical properties
to many high strength alloy
steels but, compared to steels, it
has better corrosion resistance

17. THANK YOU