The Uses and Properties of Copper

1
The Uses and Properties of Copper

• Ryan Jerico
• TED-226

2
Uses of Copper

• The first uses of copper were decorative because
  of its attractiveness and malleability.
• Ancient pieces of jewelry have been found from
  civilizations in such places as China, India,
  Peru, and Rome.
• Copper was later used to make bronze and then
  cast into tools and utensils.

3
Properties of Copper

• Copper has many useful properties. For example,
  it is a good electrical conductor a
  good thermal conductor corrosion resistant
  antibacterial easily joined
  ductile tough non magnetic
  attractive colour easy to alloy
  recyclable catalytic

4
Application

• Electromagnetslocks, scrapyard cranes, electric
  bells.
• Motorspumps, domestic appliances (washing
  machines, dishwashers, fridges, vacuum cleaners),
  cars (starter motors, windscreen wipers, electric
  windows), computers (disc drives, fans),
  entertainment systems (walkman, video player, CD
  and DVD players).
• Dynamosbicycles, power stations.
• Transformersmains adaptors, electricity
  substations, power stations.

5
Alloying

• Copper can be combined with other metals to make
  alloys. The most well known are brass and bronze.
  Although copper has excellent electrical and
  thermal properties, it needs to be hardened and
  strengthened for many industrial applications. It
  is therefore mixed with other metals and melted.
  The liquid metals form a solution which, when
  they solidify, are called alloys. Some copper
  alloys are brass copper zinc bronze
  copper tin cupro nickel copper
  nickelThe alloys are harder, stronger and
  tougher than pure copper. They can be made even
  harder by hammering them - a process called work
  hardening. In ancient times, the first alloys
  could be made in the temperatures of a camp fire.
  This led to the Bronze Age.