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Copper Factbook
What is Copper?
Copper is a malleable and ductile metallic element that is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity as well as being corrosion resistant and antimicrobial. Copper occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust in a variety of forms. It can be found in sulfide deposits (as chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covellite), in carbonate deposits (as azurite and malachite), in silicate deposits (as chrysycolla and dioptase) and as pure "native" copper.
Copper also occurs naturally in humans, animals and plants. Organic life forms have evolved in an environment containing copper. As a nutrient and essential element, copper is vital to maintaining health. Life sustaining functions depend on copper.
Copper and copper‐based alloys are used in a variety of applications that are necessary for a reasonable standard of living. Its continued production and use is essential for society's development. How society exploits and uses its resources, while ensuring that tomorrow's needs
are not compromised, is an important factor in ensuring society's sustainable development.
Copper is one of the most recycled of all metals. It is our ability to recycle metals over and over again that makes them a material of choice. Recycled copper (also known as secondary copper) cannot be distinguished from primary copper (copper originating from ores), once reprocessed. Recycling copper extends the efficiency of use of the metal, results in energy savings and contributes to ensuring that we have a sustainable source of metal for future generations.
The demand for copper will continue to be met by the discovery of new deposits, technological improvements, efficient design, and by taking advantage of the renewable nature of copper through reuse and recycling. As well, competition between materials, and supply and demand principles, contribute to ensuring that materials are used efficiently and effectively.
Copper is an important contributor to the national economies of mature, newly developed and developing countries. Mining, processing, recycling and the transformation of metal into a multitude of products creates jobs and generates wealth. These activities contribute to building and maintaining a country's infrastructure, and create trade and investment opportunities. Copper will continue to contribute to society’s development well into the future.
Copper Properties and Benefits
Chemical Symbol Cu
Atomic Number 29
Atomic Weight 63.54
Density 8960 kg m-3
Melting point 1356 K
Specific Heat cp (at 293 K) 0.383 kJ kg-1 K-1
Thermal conductivity 394 W m-1 K-1
Coefficient of linear expansion 16.5 x 10-6 K-1
Young's Modulus of Elasticity 110 x 109 N m-2
Electrical Conductivity (% IACS) 1.673 x 10-8 ohm-m
Crystal Structure Face-Centered Cubic
Copper makes vital contributions to sustaining and improving society. Copper's chemical, physical and aesthetic properties make it a material of choice in a wide range of domestic, industrial and high technology applications.
Alloyed with other metals, such as zinc (to form brass), aluminum or tin (to form bronzes), or nickel, for example, it can acquire new characteristics for use in highly specialized applications. In fact, society's infrastructure is based, in part, on copper.
But copper’s benefits extend beyond mechanical characteristics:
- Copper is essential to the health of plants, animal and humans. Deficiencies, as well as excesses, can be detrimental to health.
- Antimicrobial Properties. Due to copper’s antimicrobial properties, copper and copper alloy products can be used to eliminate pathogens and reduce the spread of diseases.
- Recycling. Copper is one of the most recycled of all metals. Virtually all products made from copper can be recycled and recycled copper loses none of its chemical or physical properties.
- Energy Efficiency. Copper can improve the efficiency of energy production and distribution systems.
Copper Today
The global demand for copper continues to grow: world refined usage has more than tripled in the last 50 years thanks to expanding sectors such as electrical and electronic products, building construction, industrial machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, and consumer and general products. Some of the highlights of 2018 copper production and usage are listed below. In the chapters that follow, more in‐depth
information is presented on copper production, trade, usage, and recycling.
Copper Production Highlights
Preliminary figures indicate that global copper mine production in 2018 reached 20.6 million tonnes. The largest producer of mined copper was Chile (5.8 million tonnes).
Smelter production in 2018 reached around 20.1 million tonnes. China was the largest producer of blister & anode in 2018 (8.6 million tonnes).
Refinery Production in 2018 increased to 24.1 million tonnes, including 4.0 million tonnes of secondary refined production. China was the largest producer.
Copper Usage Highlights
Refined copper usage (usage by semis plants or the first users of copper) in 2018 reached 24.5 million tonnes. China was also the largest consumer of refined copper in 2018 with apparent usage of around 12.5 million tonnes.
According to the International Copper Association (ICA), equipment was the largest copper end‐use sector in 2018, followed by building construction and infrastructure.
New copper applications being developed include antimicrobial copper touch surfaces, lead‐free brass plumbing, high tech copper wire, heat exchangers, and new consumer products as well.
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