COPPER

TA N I S HQ HA R I T VISHNU PILLAI
2K20/B15/02 2K20/B15/16

HEMANT KUMAR ANSH RAO

2K20/B15/04 2K20/B15/21

AYUSH SHUKLA ANKIT BORAN

2K20/B15/10 2K20/B15/35
 INTRODUCTION
• Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic
number 29.
• Copper is produced in massive stars and is present in the Earth's
crust in a proportion of about 50 parts per million (ppm).
• Copper is one of the few metals that can occur in nature in a
directly usable metallic form.
• The largest mass of elemental copper discovered weighed 420
tonnes and was found in 1857 on the Keweenaw Peninsula in
Michigan, US.
• Commonly encountered compounds are copper(II) salts, which
often impart blue or green colors to such minerals
as azurite, malachite, and turquoise, and have been used widely
and historically as pigments.
 PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES
• Copper is a reddish metal with a face-
centered cubic crystalline structure.

• It is found in group 11 of the periodic

table, together with silver and gold.

• It is malleable, ductile, and an extremely

good conductor of both heat and
electricity.

• Metallic bonds in copper are lacking

a covalent character and are relatively
weak.

• It reflects red and orange light and

absorbs other frequencies in the visible
spectrum
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 CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES
• Copper does not react with water

• It does slowly react with atmospheric oxygen

to form a layer of brown-black copper oxide
which, unlike the rust that forms on iron in
moist air, protects the underlying metal from
further corrosion (passivation).

• A green layer of verdigris (copper carbonate)

can often be seen on old copper structures,
such as the roofing of many older
buildings[15] and the Statue of Liberty.[16] 

• Copper tarnishes when exposed to
some sulfur compounds, with which it reacts
to form various copper sulfides.

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 CORROSION RESISTANCE OF COPPER
• All copper alloys resist corrosion by fresh water and steam.

• In most rural, marine and industrial atmospheres copper alloys also resistant to corrosion. 

• Copper is resistant to saline solutions, soils, non-oxidising minerals, organic acids and caustic
solutions.

• Moist ammonia, halogens, sulphides, solutions

containing ammonia ions and oxidising acids,
like nitric acid, will attack Copper. Copper alloys
also have poor resistance to inorganic acids.

• The corrosion resistance of copper alloys comes

from the formation of adherent films on the
material surface. These films are relatively
impervious to corrosion therefore protecting the
base metal from further attack.
SURFACE OXIDATION OF COPPER
• Most copper alloys will develop a blue-green patina when exposed to the elements outdoors.

• Typical of this is the colour of the copper Statue of Liberty in New York.

• Some copper alloys will darken after prolonged exposure to the elements and take on a brown to
black colour.

• Lacquer coatings can be used to protect the surface and retain the original alloy colour.

• An acrylic coating with benzotriazole as an additive will last several years under most outdoor,
abrasion-free conditions.
 MECHANICAL COMPOSITION
OF COPPER
• Copper alloys become stronger and more ductile as temperature goes down. They also retain excellent
impact resistance to 20 K. These general characteristics have been revealed in tests on 15 copper alloys,
including brasses, bronzes and commercially pure coppers. 
• Copper can be supplied in a range of conditions from annealed (soft) to fully hard, which is obtained by
cold working.
• Annealed copper (H040) has a minimum hardness of  40HV, a minimum tensile strength 200 N/mm²
(R200), with fully cold worked copper (H110) having a hardness of 110HV minimum and tensile strength
of 360 N/mm² ( R360)  minimum.
• The ductility of fully cold worked copper is much less than in the annealed condition with a value of 2%
elongation.
• The strength and hardness of copper can also be increased by alloying, but this results in a decrease in
electrical conductivity.
• The strongest copper alloy of all is produced by alloying with beryllium, followed by an age hardening heat treatment
resulting in a  tensile strength of up to 1500 N/mm².
 BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF COPPER
HUMAN BODY :
• The human body contains copper at a level of about 1.4 to 2.1 mg per kg of body mass.
• Copper is essential for maintaining the strength of the skin, blood vessels, epithelial and connective
tissue throughout the body. Cu plays a role in the production of haemoglobin, myelin, melanin and it also
keeps thyroid gland functioning normally.
• Copper also aids in iron absorption.

PLANTS :
• Copper is an essential trace element in plants and animals, but not all microorganisms.
• Copper is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development. It acts as a catalyst in
photosynthesis and respiration and plays an important role in the formation of lignin in the cell wall.

Copper Deficiency in Plants :

• Excess potassium, phosphorus or other micronutrients can cause copper deficiency.
• Copper is immobile, meaning its deficiency symptoms occur in the newer leaves.
 ELECTRICAL
APPLICATIONS

• Approximately 65% of copper produced is used for electrical

applications.

• Power generation and transmission generators, transformers,

motors, bus bars and cables provide and deliver electricity safely
and efficiently to homes and businesses.

• Electrical equipment - providing circuitry, wiring and contacts

for PCs, TVs and mobile phones.

• Copper is used in the manufacturing of heatsinks

CONSTRUCTION
APPLICATIONS
• 25% of all the copper produced is used in
buildings.
• The skin of STATUE Of LIBERTY is made
of 81.3 tones Cu.
• Cu is used in roofs, flashings, gutters,
downspouts, domes, spires, vaults, wall
cladding and building expansion joints.
MEDICAL
APPLICATIONS
• Bacteria will not grow on Cu surface because it is BIOSTATIC.

• Cu doorknobs are used by hospitals to reduce the transfer of

diseases.

• LEGIONNAIRE’S disease is suppressed by Cu tubing in air

conditioning system.

• Copper's naturally antimicrobial properties can be exploited in

hygienic surfaces for hospitals and healthcare facilities.

• CuSO4 is used as a fungicides and as algae control in domestic.

 KITCHENWARE APPLICATIONS
• Excellent thermal conduction : Many pan will only have
have a copper bottom or lining around the heating
surface. This type of cookware is still a great option for
maintaining reliable cooking temperature.

• Corrosion Resistance : Copper is a good undercoat for

subsequent plate layers like tin, steel, nickel or aluminum.

• Adhesion : Copper is one of the best metals on Earth for

providing adhesion between surfaces. It also results in
extended product life as well as heat dispersion.

• Design : Copper truly give any cookware set a distinctive

look many other sets do not have.
TRANSPORT APPLICATIONS
• Transport accounts for 7% of copper usage.

• A high-purity copper wire harness system carries current

from the battery throughout a vehicle to equipment such
as lights, central locking, onboard computers and satellite
navigation systems. 

• Copper is also used in electric motors.

• Copper Motor Roters, a new technology designed for

motor applications where energy savings are prime design
objectives, are enabling general-purpose induction motors
meet and exceed premium efficiency standards.
 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 of these are imprecise terms, having both been commonly referred to
as lattens in the past.
• Today the term copper alloy tends to be substituted, especially by museums.
 BRASSES
BRONZES
A brass is an alloy of copper
with zinc. Brasses are usually
yellow in colour. The zinc
DIFFERENT A bronze is an alloy of

content can vary between

few % to about 40%; as long
COPPER copper and other metals,
most often tin, but also

as it is kept under 15%, it does

not markedly decrease
ALLOYS aluminium and silicon.

corrosion resistance of copper.

THANK YOU !