Copper is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. It has two stable isotopes and exists in native and mineral forms, with the most important ores being sulfides, oxides, and carbonates. Copper is extracted from its ores through a series of chemical, physical, and electrochemical processes including crushing, roasting, smelting, and electrolysis. It has many useful properties and practical applications as a building material, electrical conductor, and in metal alloys like brass and bronze used for plumbing, wiring, cookware, and more. Copper consumption is highest in the building industry, electronics, transportation, and consumer products.

3. Introduction to Copper
 Copper is a chemical element with
symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and
atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal
with very high thermal and electrical
conductivity. Pure copper is soft and
malleable; a freshly exposed surface
has a reddish-orange color. It is used as
a conductor of heat and electricity, a
building material, and a constituent of
various metal alloys.

4. Introduction Contd.
 Copper is found as native metal and in
minerals ie. cuprite, azurite, chalcopyrite
and bornite. Sulphides, oxides and
carbonates are the most important ores.

6. Compostion Of Copper
 Copper is a pure element with atomic
number 29. That means an atom of
copper has 29 protons in the nucleus
and 29 electrons surrounding
it. Copper has two stable isotopes
63Cu and 65Cu containing 34 and 36
neutrons respectively in the nucleus, as
well as a number of unstable radioactive
atoms exists in copper.

7. Extraction Of Copper from its
ores.
 The conversion of copper consists of a series
of chemical, physical, and electrochemical
processes. Methods have evolved and vary
with country depending on the ore source,
local environmental regulations, and other
factors.
 As in all mining operations, the ore must
usually be concentrated. To do this, the ore is
crushed. Then it must be roasted to
convert sulfides to oxides, which
are smelted to produce matte. Finally, it
undergoes various refining processes, the final
one being is electrolysis.

9. Properties Of Copper
 Corrosion resistant
 Copper is low in the reactivity series. This
means that it doesn't tend to corrode. Again,
this is important for its use for pipes, electrical
cables, saucepans and radiators.
 Easily joined
 Copper can be joined easily
by soldering or brazing. This is useful for
pipework and for making sealed copper
vessels.

10. Properties Cont.
 Ductile
 Copper is a ductile metal. This means that it
can easily be shaped into pipes and drawn
into wires.Copper pipes are lightweight
because they can have thin walls. The pipes
can be joined by soldering and they are safe in
fires because they don't burn or support
combustion.
 Tough
 Copper and copper alloys are tough. This
means that they were well suited to being
used for tools and weapons.
 The property of toughness is vital for copper
and copper alloys in the modern world. They
do not shatter when they are dropped or

11. Properties Contd.
 Non magnetic
 Copper is non magnetic and non
sparking. Because of this, it is used in
special tools and military applications.
 Catalytic compounds
 Copper can act as a catalyst. For
example, it speeds up the reaction
between zinc and dilute sulphuric acid. It
is found in some enzymes, one of which
is involved in respiration. So it really is a

12. Properties Contd.
 Recyclable
 Copper can be recycled without any loss
of quality. 40% of the world's demand is
met by recycled copper.

13. Practical Uses.
 Copper and Copper alloys are some of
the most versatile engineering materials
available. The combination of physical
properties such as strength,
conductivity, corrosion resistance and
ductility make Copper suitable for a wide
range of applications. These properties
can be further enhanced with variations
in composition and manufacturing
methods.

14. Practical uses Contd.
 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
~ Heating systems
~ Water pipes and fittings
~ Oil and gas lines
~ Electrical wiring

15. Practical Uses Contd.
 Copper Usage
 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 alloy 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.


16. Applications.
Copper and Copper alloys can be used in an extraordinary
range of applications. Some of the applications fro Copper
include:

 Power transmission lines
 Architectural applications
 Cooking utensils
 Spark plugs
 Electrical wiring, cables and busbars
 High conductivity wires
 Electrodes
 Heat exchangers
 Refrigeration tubing
 Plumbing
 Water-cooled Copper crucibles

18. Copper Alloys.
 Copper alloys are metal alloys that
have copper as their principal component.
They have high resistance against
corrosion. The best known traditional
types are bronze, where tin is a significant
addition, and brass, using zinc instead.
Both these are imprecise terms, both
having been commonly referred to
as lattens in the past. Today the
term copper alloy tends to be substituted,
especially by museums.

19. Copper Alloys Contd.
Main article: Brass
 A brass is an alloy of copper with zinc.
Brasses are usually yellow in color. The
zinc content can vary between few % to
about 40%; as long as it is kept under
15%, it does not markedly decrease
corrosion resistance of copper.

20. Bronze
 A bronze is an alloy of copper and other metals,
most often tin, but also aluminium and silicon.
 Aluminium bronzes are alloys of copper and
aluminium. The content of aluminium ranges mostly
between 5-11%. Iron, nickel, manganese and silicon
are sometimes added. They have higher strength
and corrosion resistance than other bronzes,
especially in marine environment, and have low
reactivity to sulphur compounds. Aluminium forms a
thin passivation layer on the surface of the metal.
 Bell metal
 Phosphor bronze
 Nickel bronzes, e.g. nickel silver and cupronickel
 Speculum metal

21. Bronze Contd.
 The other types of bronze alloys are
mentioned below;
 Silicon Bronze( Copper + Silicon metal)
 Hi-Lead Bronze ( Lead(Pb) + Copper )
 Tin bronze ( Tin + Copper )
 Manganese bronze.

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Listening.