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what, is, copper, Copper properties, Chemical properties of copper, The physical properties of copper, Sources of copper in nature

Copper

Copper is one of the most abundant chemical elements in nature, being the 25th most abundant. Copper is present in nature in golden red or it may be iridescent; That is, it reflects colors like the colors of the spectrum when light falls on it, so it is distinguished from other minerals - in addition to gold - in that it does not exist in silver or gray when it is present in nature like other minerals.

The copper element has many properties; The most important of them is its high ability to conduct heat and electrical conduction, in addition to being a ductile and malleable metal that is easy to form without breaking, which made it one of the basic minerals that people have benefited from for thousands of years. It is one of the first minerals that have been discovered and extracted. It has a great role in the development of societies.

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The History of Copper

Copper is considered one of the most extracted and used minerals since its discovery, as it was the only mineral known to humans for 5,000 years, and its discovery and use date back to the year 8700 BC, that is, about 10,000 years ago, when copper was used to make weapons in that period. Egypt is considered one of the first countries to discover the resistance of copper to corrosion, so the Egyptians benefited from this property in the manufacture of copper tapes and nails, which are used in building ships and making pipes to transport water, and Egypt's total copper production was estimated at 10,000 tons over a period of 1500 years, and many Egyptian industries are still Old copperplates exist to the present time and are in good condition.

The Bronze Age witnessed a great use of copper, as alloys consisting of copper and tin were discovered called bronze , and alloys made of copper and zinc were discovered called brass, and these alloys were used in the manufacture of several things, such as: household utensils, furniture, and weapons, in addition to According to the use of copper in coinage, the oldest Roman copper coin was discovered dating back to the period between 27 BC to 14 AD, and it is worth noting that other copper compounds were discovered before 4000 BC, such as the copper sulfate compound used by the ancient Egyptians in Dyeing, and later copper had an important role in the transmission of electricity that continued to the present time.

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Copper properties

Chemical properties of copper

Among the most important chemical properties that characterize the element that bears the chemical symbol Cu is that the atomic number of copper is 29, and its atomic weight is 63.55, in addition to the following other chemical properties:

Copper is in group eleventh on the periodic table of the chemical elements.
Copper is located in the fourth cycle in the periodic table of the elements.
Electronic Distribution: Ar] 4s 1 3d 10 ]
Element copper is classified as a transition metal.
Copper has 28 isotopes .

Based on copper’s chemical properties, copper loses electrons when it interacts with air or water. This reaction is called the oxidation reaction, resulting in copper oxide. The color of the original copper changes to a pale green. As for the absence of air from the copper, it is not affected by any type of acid. Non-oxidizing or dilute non-compound acids.

If copper is present in the air, it reacts easily in nitric acid and sulfuric acid, which causes it to dissolve, and it dissolves in both potassium cyanide and aqueous ammonia solution in the presence of oxygen, but if copper reacts with oxygen in the presence of heat, it produces copper (II) oxide CuO , and in If the temperature was high, it would produce copper monoxide with the chemical symbol Cu 2 O, and if the copper was reacted with sulfur in the presence of heat - by heating - the result would be copper sulfide with the chemical symbol Cu 2 S.

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The physical properties of copper

The most important physical properties of copper are as follows:

Melting point of copper: 1083.45 ° C.
Boiling point of copper: 2567 ° C.
Copper color: reddish brown.
Appearance: soft, flexible - ductile and ductile -.
Atomic radius: 128 pm
Atomic Size: 7.1 cm 3 / mol.
Covalent Radius: 117 pm.
Ionic radius: 72 (2e) 96 (+ 1e +)
Copper density: 8.96 g / cm 3 .
Specific heat: 0.385 joules / (grams. Degrees Celsius).
Heat of fusion: 13.01 kJ / mol.
Heat of evaporation: 304.6 kJ / mol.
Depay temperature: 42 ° C.
Pauling's number negative : 1.90
First ionization energy: 745.0 kJ / mol.
Oxidation states: 2,1.
Crystal structure: a face-centered cubic.
The case at room temperature: the solid state.

Sources of copper in nature

Copper ores exist in nature in several forms, as follows:

Copper ore: It is copper that is found alone in nature as it is without being mixed with other metals.
Porphyry copper: This is the most widespread form around the world, where copper is distributed in the rock in the form of deposits of oxides resulting from the interaction of copper with oxygen, and sulphides resulting from the interaction of copper with sulfur, as the oxides are present in the upper part of the rock, and sulfides are found at the bottom .
Large copper deposits : the type of copper is similar to porphyry in its composition with the difference that the concentration of copper in these deposits is higher, and the extent of its spread is lower. Where the copper deposits are concentrated in a small area of the rocks.
Mixed copper with other minerals: In this form, copper may be present in a ratio of 0.4% to 12% with each of nickel, zinc , or lead, and when extracted, the metals are separated from each other to benefit from them.
Copper-containing host rock: as the mineral content of copper is present in several host rocks; Schist or porphyry.

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Where is copper found

Copper is distributed in most parts of the world and the diversity of its sources, but the US Geological Survey estimated that 50% of the total copper of unknown source is found in southern Central Asia, South America, North America, and the Indo-Chinese peninsula, and it is distributed in detail as follows:

South America: where there is approximately 20% of the amount of copper of unknown source, it is the largest supplier of copper from porphyry deposits, as the countries of Peru and Chile are among the countries that produce more copper in the world.
Central America: the copper extends in it in the form of a belt that starts in Panama and ends in southwestern Mexico, where there are more than two million tons of porphyry copper in Panama specifically.
North America: contains more than 25 tons of copper distributed over Alaska, the western United States, northern Mexico, and western Canada, and Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Montata and Nevada are among the most producing states of copper in the United States of America.
Northeast Asia: It has a large proportion of copper of unknown origin.
Northern Central Asia: Porphyry deposits are widely distributed in Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
Southern Central Asia and the Indo-Chinese Peninsula: Huge copper deposits have been discovered in the Tibetan plateau.
Eastern Australia : It has small marble deposits and giant porphyry copper deposits.
Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia: There are copper deposits in Afghanistan, in addition to the presence of porphyry deposits that extend along a belt from Romania through Turkey and Iran.
Western Europe : It has the largest copper deposits in the world in it, specifically in Poland. Africa and the Middle East: It is distributed in giant copper deposits in the form of a belt in Central Africa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.

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Copper extraction and processing

The first steps of copper mining begin with determining where it is located, as it may be located near the surface of the earth or in its depths, and in the case of its presence near the surface of the earth, the open-pit method of surface mining is best suited to extracting copper in large quantities, so that large mechanisms can work Crushing and blasting the ore, and then transporting the broken ores resulting from the blasting to special factories through very large trucks with a weight of 150 tons of raw materials per load.

As for the extraction of copper from deep depths in the earth, giant rods are perpendicularly implanted for more than a kilometer below the surface of the earth. This is to create tunnels to pass the raw materials through, as the ground is dug and the raw materials crushed through these tunnels are raised to the top of the earth's surface, then transferred to private factories to be processed and utilized, or the subsoil may be blown up and the raw materials are transported crushed to the top.

When raw materials are obtained, copper is extracted from them in three basic steps, as follows:

Mineral processing: In this step, copper is liberated by removing other materials, such as: limestone , silica, and pyrite, and here the ore should contain 20% -30% of copper.
Smelting and filtration: in this step a large proportion of unwanted multi-impurities, such as iron , is removed .
Refining: In this step, the remaining impurities and unwanted elements are removed, and at the end of it, copper is produced in a very pure form, up to 99.99%.

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Types of copper

There are three types of copper, which are as follows:

High conductivity copper: This type is characterized by its high ability to conduct electrical conductivity, whether in a hot or cold state, and therefore it is suitable for use in electrical applications, such as: wires and cables, in addition to that it is characterized by high flexibility, which is easy to form in the form of thin wires, for example, and the most famous of its types is copper (ETP) as it is known in North America or electro-copper as it is known in other countries, as its conductivity reaches from 100% to 101.5%, according to the international copper hardness standard.
Reduced copper: In this type, oxygen is extracted from copper by adding a percentage of molten phosphorous to it, or by adding boron in the case of alloys , thus producing a strong solid that resists corrosion in the event of contact with hydrogen , and thus it is suitable for many uses, such as: gas supply Domestic water, and central heating systems, in addition to its use in building construction and roofing paper, and its uses in buildings have expanded at the present time to include exterior cladding, wall panels, and others.
Copper alloys: Copper alloys are non-ferrous alloys - meaning that they do not contain iron -. Copper may be formed in them with a wide range of other metals, such as: zinc, tin, nickel, and aluminum, and multiple alloys

The previous types of alloys may include other elements in small proportions, such as: arsenic, silicon, aluminum , silver, cadmium, and other elements, so that they are added to them in certain proportions so that the alloy acquires specific properties to be used for many purposes, and it has been benefited from the addition of elements to the alloys Since ancient times, with the passage of time the science of metallurgy has developed, new elements have been introduced into alloys, and new alloys have been produced that are suitable in the electronics industry.

There are types of alloys that are more commonly used than others, and the most famous of them are the following:

Bronze alloy: the percentage of copper in it is from 88% -95%, and it is used in the manufacture of coins, works of art, and in the manufacture of cymbals - a musical instrument -.
Aluminum-bronze alloy: the percentage of copper in it reaches 74% -95%, and it is distinguished by its ability to resist corrosion; So it is used for marine purposes. Brass alloy: the proportion of copper in it is from 50% -90%, and it is used in the manufacture of door handles and ammunition.
Copper-nickel alloy: the percentage of copper in it is from 55% -90%, and it is used in the manufacture of coins, musical instruments, and marine purposes.
Silver-nickel alloy: the percentage of copper in it reaches 60%, but this type does not contain silver as its name suggests, but it contains an element similar to it in appearance, and this alloy is used in the manufacture of jewelry and musical instruments.
Copper and beryllium alloy: the percentage of copper in it is from 97% -99.5%, and it is considered a very strong and toxic alloy at the same time; Therefore, it is exploited in dangerous gas environments.

Uses of copper

The results of the US Geological Survey showed that copper is the third mineral that is consumed and utilized in the world after both iron and aluminum, and three quarters of the spent copper is used in the manufacture of communications and electronics cables, and the manufacture of electrical wires, and the consumption of global production of copper is estimated. In each sector as follows:

65% in electricity.
25% in construction.
7% in transportation.
3% in other fields.

Electricity

Copper is used in the manufacture of electrical wires due to its high conductivity of electricity, and it is also used in the manufacture of many electrical and electronic devices and tools, such as: transformers , power generators, television, mobile phones, and other devices, and one of the most important uses of copper in the electricity sector is its use in wired communications Where special fine wires are made for internet lines related to local networks, in addition to making use of copper in the field of renewable energy , specifically in the manufacture of wind turbines, photovoltaics, and other devices associated with renewable energy technology.

Construction work

Copper has entered the construction field since ancient times, through its use in building domes and decorating towers, and architects have made use of it to decorate building tools. Where it has been used in the manufacture of door handles, locks, lighting tools, and faucets, and it is also used in the interior design of hospitals due to its property to inhibit the growth of bacteria and germs, which reduces the possibility of the spread of diseases.

Copper has become used in drinking and heating systems in most countries, and in the manufacture of water transmission pipes due to its resistance to rust, and among the most important applications of copper in this field are: irrigation systems, sea water supply lines, and the manufacture of pipes in chemical factories, and other applications.

Transportation

Copper is used in transportation because of its efficiency in thermal and electrical conductivity, as it is used in making the basic components of all transportation, including cars, airplanes, ships, boats, and trains. In cars, copper is used in the manufacture of hydraulic lines, and copper wires related to windows and mirrors. And other tools, and modern hybrid cars depend on copper in their manufacture. It contains 25 kg of copper.

Copper is also used in the manufacture of railways, so every 1 km in the track contains more than 10 meters of copper, while in airplanes, 2% of the weight of the aircraft is made of copper, and in ships and boats various copper alloys are used in the manufacture of pumps, valves, and tubes. In addition to the use of copper in the casting of heavy ship propellers; Because of its ability to resist corrosion in salt water.

Other uses of copper

Other common uses of copper include the following:

Cooking tools and thermal applications: Copper is used in pots, pans, and other cooking utensils, as well as in thermal applications, such as: refrigeration and air conditioning units, and heat sinks.
Wrist and wall clocks: Non-magnetic copper is used in the manufacture of copper pins and gears in watches, as it does not affect the work of small mechanical parts in watches.
Artworks: Copper is used in the manufacture of various artworks, and it is mentioned among these works of making statues.
Coins: Copper was and still is used for minting coins.
Musical instruments: Brass is used in the manufacture of trumpets, saxophones, and other instruments.

Copper recycling

Copper is a high-value metal that can be recycled. The economy of the copper and alloys industry depends heavily on the recycling of copper products, and its recycling goes through the following stages:

Sorting: When copper is obtained, it is sorted; The copper may be ore, and it may be coated or welded, or it may be present with other metals that are considered pollutants that should be disposed of.
Smelting: After the copper is sorted, it is placed in special high-temperature furnaces for melting .
Casting and remodeling: molten copper is shaped and utilized; Either as alloys or as high-conductivity copper, and at this stage, copper can be cast in the form of an anode - cathode or cathode - and use it electrically, while getting rid of a large proportion of impurities so that it is of high efficiency.

Copper compounds

Among the compounds that include copper are the following:

Oxides: include copper oxide mono, and its chemical symbol is Cu 2 O, which is a red crystalline substance used in coloring red glass and in anti-rust paints, as well as oxides on copper (II) oxide and its chemical symbol is CuO , which is About a black powder used to color green glass.
Halides: include copper chloride mono-copper and its chemical symbol CuCl, which is used in gas analysis, as well as copper (II) chloride and its chemical symbol CuCl 2 , which is used mainly in the manufacture of dyes.
Sulfates : which include bright blue copper (II) sulfate, CuSO 4 , which is used in the manufacture of dyes.
Carbonates: which includes copper carbonate, and it may be green or bright blue in color, and it is used in the preparation of dyes.
Other compounds: such as copper ( II ) nitrate with the chemical symbol Cu (NO 3 ) 2 , and copper silicate, and compounds that contain some copper salts with arsenic of green color, which are used in the production of pesticides because they are toxic compounds.

General information about copper

Other information related to the element copper includes the following:

The Statue of Liberty is made mostly of copper, containing 28,122.73 kilograms of copper, and because of its exposure to oxygen in the air and its interaction with it for more than 20 years, it has turned pale green due to patina or copper rust.
Completely pure copper was extracted in the United States from Lake Superior in 4000 BC, and it was used in the manufacture of various tools and weapons.
The word copper is derived from the Latin phrase (Cyprium aes), which means metal from Cyprus, because most of the copper was extracted from Cyprus at that time, according to the Dutch historian Peter van der Kroght.
Igneous rocks contain about two-thirds of the copper on Earth, while sedimentary rocks contain about a quarter, according to the US Geological Survey.
The Andes Mountains contain a very large percentage of copper, from which 45% of the copper found in the world was extracted from it in 2007.
Copper is available in all countries of the world.

Advantages and disadvantages of copper

The high electrical conductivity of this metal, which comes second - after silver - in the list of the most conductive minerals, its abundance in nature and its low cost, in addition to being a mineral that has antimicrobial properties, which reduces the bacterial burden of surfaces and objects, all of this is considered The advantages that I nominated to be a metal used in many fields of daily life, however, what is wrong with copper is its oxidation, which causes its color to turn green when exposed to water or air, which affects the quality of its appearance.