Commercial Uses of Copper
Copper is probably the oldest metal used by man. Its use by humans extends back over 10,000 years, and this metal has been a reliable and faithful servant right up to the present. The comforts and services we have come to expect as part of our lives would be impossible without copper - it works day and night to keep the world running.
One of the first uses of copper was to make utensils such as bowls, dishes, and knives. Cooking vessels were also made out of copper. Today, copper is still used to make our cookware. Solid copper saucepans and pots are not only excellent at cooking our food; they also add a decorative beauty to our kitchens.
Perhaps the most important commercial use of copper is wiring. The electric lines stretching from the power plants to homes and other buildings are usually made of aluminum, but those in the home are generally copper. Copper wire has a higher ability to efficiently conduct electricity, and is also less likely to cause a fire in the home than aluminum wire. About 40% of all the copper used is used in wiring. Parts of nearly appliance served by these copper wires are also made of copper; its high conductivity and malleability make it indispensible in a number of these applications.
If you ever have the opportunity to view historical buildings, you will often see that they have been roofed with copper. Very often, the copper has turned green from verdigris, but it is still intact and performing its original function centuries after it was installed. Copper roofing is available today, and will provide the same near indestructibility now as it has given in the past. As copper roofing is very expensive, it is often used only in smaller areas on the roof, or as flashing to make a dormer, chimney, or bow window waterproof.
When combined with tin, copper produces the alloy bronze, which is used in a number of commercial applications. As bronze is harder than copper it is very useful when fabricating screws and nuts as well as couplings, fastenings, racks, bearings, springs, and electrical connectors.
Another valuable alloy copper is brass, a combination of copper and zinc. As brass contains the same antibacterial qualities as copper it is often used in hospitals, where doorknobs will cleanse themselves of pathogens within about 8 hours. Brass is also used to make musical instruments such as trumpets and trombones, French horns, and tubas. You can find brass around the house in handles, knobs for furniture, sculptures, and belt buckles. Historically, brass was used for mirrors and coins in ancient times.
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