NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Copper

Copper (pronounced /ˈkɒpɚ/) is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with excellent electrical conductivity and is rather supple in its pure state and has a pinkish luster which is (beside gold) unusual for metals which are normally silvery white. It finds use as a heat conductor, an electrical conductor, as a building material, and as a constituent of various metal alloys. Look up Copper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Nickel (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Copper table image created for Wikipedia by Schnee on June 25, 2003, 10:37 UTC. Licensed under the terms of the GNU FDL. File links The following pages link to this file: Copper User:Femto/elements e4 Categories: GFDL images ... This is a standard display of the periodic table of the elements. ... An extended periodic table was suggested by Glenn T. Seaborg in 1969. ... This is a list of chemical elements, sorted by name and color coded according to type of element. ... Categories: Chemical elements ... sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex... In chemistry, the term transition metal (sometimes also called a transition element) has two possible meanings: It commonly refers to any element in the d-block of the periodic table, including zinc, cadmium and mercury. ... A group, also known as a family, is a vertical column in the periodic table of the chemical elements. ... In the periodic table of the elements, a period is a horizontal row of the table. ... A block of the periodic table of elements is a set of adjacent groups. ... A Group 11 element is one in the series of elements in group 11 (IUPAC style) in the periodic table, consisting of transition metals which are the traditional coinage metals of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au). ... A period 4 element is one of the chemical elements in the fourth row (or period) of the periodic table of the elements. ... D Block is a rap group based in Yonkers, New York. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Copper sample. ... Stylized lithium-7 atom: 3 protons, 4 neutrons & 3 electrons (~1800 times smaller than protons/neutrons). ... To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various mass levels between 10âˆ’36 kg and 1053 kg. ... Hydrogen = 1 List of Elements in Atomic Number Order. ... Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a chemical element or chemical compound. ... Electron atomic and molecular orbitals In atomic physics and quantum chemistry, the electron configuration is the arrangement of electrons in an atom, molecule, or other physical structure (, a crystal). ... General Name, symbol, number argon, Ar, 18 Chemical series noble gases Group, period, block 18, 3, p Appearance colorless Standard atomic weight 39. ... For other uses, see Electron (disambiguation). ... Example of a sodium electron shell model An electron shell, also known as a main energy level, is a group of atomic orbitals with the same value of the principal quantum number n. ... In the physical sciences, a phase is a set of states of a macroscopic physical system that have relatively uniform chemical composition and physical properties (i. ... This box: For other uses, see Solid (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Density (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Room temperature (disambiguation). ... 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Kilojoule per mole are an SI derived unit of energy per amount of material, where energy is measured in units of 1000 joules, and the amount of material is measured in mole units. ... The heat of vaporization is a physical property of substances. ... Kilojoule per mole are an SI derived unit of energy per amount of material, where energy is measured in units of 1000 joules, and the amount of material is measured in mole units. ... Specific heat capacity, also known simply as specific heat, is the measure of the heat energy required to increase the temperature of a unit quantity of a substance by a certain temperature interval. ... Vapor pressure is the pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its non-vapor phases. ... Enargite crystals In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... Not to be confused with oxidation state. ... Acids and bases: Acid-base extraction Acid-base reaction Acid dissociation constant Acidity function Buffer solutions pH Proton affinity Self-ionization of water Acids: Lewis acids Mineral acids Organic acids Strong acids Superacids Weak acids Bases: Lewis bases Organic bases Strong bases Superbases Non-nucleophilic bases Weak bases edit In... Electronegativity is a measure of the ability of an atom or molecule to attract electrons in the context of a chemical bond. ... The ionization energy (IE) of an atom or of a molecule is the energy required to strip it of an electron. ... These tables list the ionization energy in kJ/mol necessary to remove an electron from a neutral atom (first energy), respectively from a singly, doubly, etc. ... Kilojoule per mole are an SI derived unit of energy per amount of material, where energy is measured in units of 1000 joules, and the amount of material is measured in mole units. ... Atomic radius: Ionic radius Covalent radius Metallic radius Van der Waals radius edit Atomic radius, and more generally the size of an atom, is not a precisely defined physical quantity, nor is it constant in all circumstances. ... You have big harry skanky balls ... One picometre is defined as 1x10-12 metres, in standard units. ... You have big harry skanky balls ... Atomic radius: Ionic radius Covalent radius Metallic radius van der Waals radius edit The covalent radius, rcov, is a measure of the size of atom which forms part of a covalent bond. ... You have big harry skanky balls ... The van der Waals radius of an atom is the radius of an imaginary hard sphere which can be used to model the atom for many purposes. ... You have big harry skanky balls ... For other senses of this word, see magnetism (disambiguation). ... 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Shear strain In materials science, shear modulus or modulus of rigidity, denoted by G, or sometimes S or Î¼, is defined as the ratio of shear stress to the shear strain:[1] where = shear stress; is the force which acts is the area on which the force acts = shear strain; is... The bulk modulus (K) of a substance essentially measures the substances resistance to uniform compression. ... Figure 1: Rectangular specimen subject to compression, with Poissons ratio circa 0. ... The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material. ... A Vickers hardness tester The Vickers hardness test was developed in the early 1920s as an alternative method to measure the hardness of materials. ... The Brinell scale characterises the indentation hardness of materials through the scale of penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material test-piece. ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. ... Copper (Cu) Standard atomic mass: 63. ... For other uses, see Isotope (disambiguation). ... Natural abundance refers to the prevalence of different isotopes of an element as found in nature. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... In physics, the decay mode describes a particular way a particle decays. ... The decay energy is the energy released by a nuclear decay. ... The electronvolt (symbol eV) is a unit of energy. ... In nuclear physics, a decay product, also known as a daughter product, is a nuclide resulting from the radioactive decay of a parent or precursor nuclide. ... Stable isotopes are chemical isotopes that are not radioactive. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 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Not to be confused with electrical conductance, a measure of an objects or circuits ability to conduct an electric current between two points, which is dependent on the electrical conductivity and the geometric dimensions of the conducting object. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon content between 0. ...

Copper is an essential trace nutrient to all high plants and animals. In animals, including humans, it is found primarily in the bloodstream, as a co-factor in various enzymes, and in copper-based pigments. However, in sufficient amounts, copper can be poisonous and even fatal to organisms. Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ... A cofactor is any substance that needs to be present in addition to an enzyme to catalyze a certain reaction. ... Neuraminidase ribbon diagram An enzyme (in Greek en = in and zyme = blend) is a protein, or protein complex, that catalyzes a chemical reaction and also controls the 3D orientation of the catalyzed substrates. ... In biology, pigment is any material resulting in color in plant or animal cells which is the result of selective absorption. ...

Copper has played a significant part in the history of mankind, which has used the easily accessible uncompounded metal for thousands of years. Several early civilizations have early evidence of using copper. During the Roman Empire, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, hence the origin of the name of the metal as Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ...

A number of countries, such as Chile and the United States, still have sizable reserves of the metal which are extracted through large open pit mines, however like tin there may be insufficient reserves to sustain current rates of consumption.^[1] High demand relative to supply has caused a price spike in the 2000s^[2]. This article is about the metallic chemical element. ...

Copper also has a significant presence as a decorative metal art. It can also be used as an anti-germ surface that can add to the anti-bacterial and antimicrobial features of buildings such as hospitals. ^[3]

History

Copper, as native copper, is one of the few metals to naturally occur as an uncompounded mineral. Copper was known to some of the oldest civilizations on record, and has a history of use that is at least 10,000 years old. No one knows exactly when copper was first discovered, but earliest estimates place this event around 9000 BCE.^[4] A copper pendant was found in what is now northern Iraq that dates to 8700 BCE. By 5000 BCE, there are signs of copper smelting: the refining of copper from simple copper compounds such as malachite or azurite. Among archaeological sites in Anatolia, Çatal Höyük (~6000 BCE) features native copper artifacts and smelted lead beads, but no smelted copper. But Can Hasan (~5000 BCE) had access to smelted copper; this site has yielded the oldest known cast copper artifact, a copper mace head. Although copper most commonly occurs in oxidized states and mixed with other elements, it is found in its native form in various regions of the world. ... BCE redirects here. ... Electric phosphate smelting furnace in a TVA chemical plant (1942) Chemical reduction, or smelting, is a form of extractive metallurgy. ... For other uses, see Malachite (disambiguation). ... // Azurite is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. ... Excavations at the South Area of Ã‡atal HÃ¶yÃ¼k Ã‡atalhÃ¶yÃ¼k (also Ã‡atal HÃ¶yÃ¼k and Ã‡atal HÃ¼yÃ¼k, or any of the three without accent marks -- Ã‡atal is Turkish for fork and HÃ¶yÃ¼k is Turkish for mound) was a very large Neolithic and... A development of the club, a mace consists of a strong, heavy wooden, metal-reinforced, or metal shaft, with a head made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. ...

Ancient Copper ingot from Zakros, Crete is shaped in the form of an animal skin typical for that era.

Copper smelting appears to have been developed independently in several parts of the world. In addition to its development in Anatolia by 5000 BCE, it was developed in China before 2800 BCE, in the Andes around 2000 BCE, in Central America around 600 CE, and in West Africa around 900 CE.^[5] Copper is found extensively in the Indus Valley Civilization by the 3rd millennium BCE.^[6] In Europe, Ötzi the Iceman, a well-preserved male dated to 3300-3200 BCE, was found with an axe tipped with copper that was 99.7% pure. High levels of arsenic in his hair suggest he was involved in copper smelting. Download high resolution version (1264x803, 352 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1264x803, 352 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Modern gold ingots from the Bank of Sweden An Ingot is a mass of material cast into a shape which is easy to handle. ... Zakros (Greek Î–Î¬ÎºÏÎ¿Ï‚) is a site on the eastern coast of the island of Crete (in modern-day Greece) containing ruins from the Minoan civilization. ... For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... Excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro. ... â€œÃ–tziâ€ redirects here. ... General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Standard atomic weight 74. ...

There exist copper and bronze artifacts from Sumerian cities that date to 3000 BCE, and Egyptian artifacts of copper and copper-tin alloys nearly as old. In one pyramid, a copper plumbing system was found that is 5000 years old. The Egyptians found that adding a small amount of tin made the metal easier to cast, so copper-tin (bronze) alloys were found in Egypt almost as soon as copper was found. Very important sources of copper in the Levant were located in Timna valley (Palestine) and Faynan (biblical Punon, Jordan).^[7] This article is about the metal alloy. ... Sumer ( Sumerian: KI-EN-GIR, Land of the Lords of Brightness[1], or land of the Sumerian tongue[2][3], Akkadian: Å umeru; possibly Biblical Shinar ), located in southern Mesopotamia, is the earliest known civilization in the world. ... This article is about the metallic chemical element. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... The Timna Valley is located in the southwestern Arabah, approximately 30 km (18. ... Punon (Hebrew: ×¤Ö¼×•Ö¼× Ö¹×Ÿ) is an ancient city in the Arava, Jordan. ...

In the Americas production in the Old Copper Complex, located in present day Michigan and Wisconsin, was dated back to between 6000 to 3000 BCE.^[8] The Old Copper Complex is a term used for the cultural complex associated with the earliest known use of metal in the Americas. ...

By 2000 BCE, Europe was using bronze. The use of bronze became so pervasive in a certain era of civilization (approximately 2500 BCE to 600 BCE in Europe) that it has been named the Bronze Age. The transitional period in certain regions between the preceding Neolithic period and the Bronze Age is termed the Chalcolithic ("copper-stone"), with some high-purity copper tools being used alongside stone tools. Brass (copper-zinc) was known to the Greeks, but only became a significant supplement to bronze during the Roman empire. This article is about the metal alloy. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos copper stone) period, also known as the Eneolithic (Aeneolithic) or Copper Age period, is a phase in the development of human culture in which the use of early metal tools appeared alongside the use of stone tools. ... Brazen redirects here. ...

In alchemy the symbol for copper, perhaps a stylized mirror, was also the symbol for the goddess and planet Venus.

In Greek the metal was known by the name chalkos (χαλκός). Copper was a very important resource for the Romans, Greeks and other ancient peoples. In Roman times, it became known as aes Cyprium (aes being the generic Latin term for copper alloys such as bronze and other metals, and Cyprium because so much of it was mined in Cyprus). From this, the phrase was simplified to cuprum and then eventually Anglicized into the English copper. Copper was associated with the goddess Aphrodite/Venus in mythology and alchemy, owing to its lustrous beauty, its ancient use in producing mirrors, and its association with Cyprus, which was sacred to the goddess. Image File history File links Venus_symbol. ... Image File history File links Venus_symbol. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... Venus is the Roman goddess of love, equivalent to Greek Aphrodite and Etruscan Turan. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ...

British Isles

West Mine at Alderley Edge

During the Bronze Age, copper was mined in the British Isles mainly in the following locations: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 538 KB) Summary Picture taken by N J Dibben in September 2004 using a series of flashes and combining the results with Adobe Photoshop. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 538 KB) Summary Picture taken by N J Dibben in September 2004 using a series of flashes and combining the results with Adobe Photoshop. ...

South West County Cork
Ceredigion, West Wales (e.g. Cwmystwyth)
North Wales (e.g. Great Orme)
Conlig in Northern Ireland
Anglesey (Parys Mountain)
Cheshire (Alderley Edge)
The Staffordshire Moorlands (e.g. Ecton Mine)
The Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea near the centre of the British Isles.

At Great Orme in North Wales, such working extended for a depth of 70 metres.^[9] At Alderley Edge in Cheshire, carbon dates have established mining at around 2280 to 1890 BCE (at 95% probability).^[10] Statistics Province: Munster County seat: Cork Code: C Area: 7,457 kmÂ² (2,879 sq mi) Population (2006) 480,909 (including City of Cork); 361,766 (without Cork City) Website: www. ... For other uses please see Ceredigion (disambiguation) Ceredigion is a county and principal area in mid Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... Almost all that remains above ground of the Bishop of Bangors 13th century palace at Gogarth is the short wall on the left, the narrow column to the right of centre collapsed into the sea during the storms of March 2005 Saint Tudnos church, the original parish church... Conlaig is a vilseage situated halfway between Bangor and Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... This article is about the constituent country. ... Anglesey (historically Anglesea; Welsh: , pronounced (IPA)) is a predominantly Welsh-speaking island off the northwest coast of Wales. ... Parys Mountain â€“ in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys â€“ is located south of Amlwch which is in north east Anglesey. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ... , Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. ... Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. ... Ecton is a hamlet in the Staffordshire Peak District (Grid reference SK096584). ... Relief map of the Irish Sea. ... This article explains the archipelago in north-western Europe. ... Almost all that remains above ground of the Bishop of Bangors 13th century palace at Gogarth is the short wall on the left, the narrow column to the right of centre collapsed into the sea during the storms of March 2005 Saint Tudnos church, the original parish church... , Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ...

United States

Miners at the Tamarack Mine in Copper Country, Michigan, USA in 1905.

Copper mining in the United States began with marginal workings by Native Americans. Native copper is known to have been extracted from sites on Isle Royale with primitive stone tools between 800 and 1600. Europeans mined copper in Connecticut as early as 1709. Perhaps the oldest large-scale copper mine in the US was the historic Elizabeth Mine in Vermont. Dating to the 1700s, "the Liz" produced copper until it was closed in 1958. Spanish began mining copper at Santa Rita, New Mexico about 1800. Westward movement also brought an expansion of copper exploitation with development of significant deposits in Michigan during the 1850s and then in Arizona and Montana during the 1870s. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2100x1661, 537 KB) Summary Miners pose with lunch pails in hand on a mine rock pile outside of the Tamarack mineshaft. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2100x1661, 537 KB) Summary Miners pose with lunch pails in hand on a mine rock pile outside of the Tamarack mineshaft. ... The Copper Country is an area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States, including most of Keweenaw, Houghton, Baraga and Ontonagon counties. ... Copper mining in the United States has been a major industry since the rise of the northern Michigan copper district in the 1840s. ... Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes, located in the northwest of Lake Superior. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Demonym Connecticuter or Connecticutian[2] Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[3] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[4] Area Ranked 48th in the US - Total 5,543[5] sq mi (14,356 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (113 km) - Length 110 miles (177 km... Santa Rita, NM is the birthplace of Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Native copper was mined extensively in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula with the heart of extraction at the productive Calumet and Hecla Mining Company mines. Arizona had many notable deposits including the Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee and the United Verde in Jerome. The Anaconda in Butte, Montana became the nation's chief copper supplier in 1892, a title it held for more than a decade. This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Keweenaw Peninsula is the most northern part of Michigans Upper Peninsula. ... The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company was a major copper-mining company based in the Michigan Copper Country. ... Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA, 82 miles (132 km) southeast of Tucson. ... Jerome is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. ... The Anaconda Copper Mine was a large copper mine in Butte, Montana. ... Uptown Butte 1942 view of the city Butte is a city in Silver Bow County, Montana and is the county seat. ...

Copper is mined in many other areas of the United States, including Utah, Nevada and (formerly) in Tennessee. (See Copper mining in the United States) Copper is the state mineral for Utah. This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Copper mining in the United States has been a major industry since the rise of the northern Michigan copper district in the 1840s. ... // Not every state has an official state mineral, rock, stone or gemstone. ...

Isotopes

Main article: Isotopes of copper

There are two stable isotopes, ⁶³Cu and ⁶⁵Cu, along with a couple dozen radioisotopes. The vast majority of radioisotopes have half lives on the order of minutes or less; the longest lived, ⁶⁷Cu, has a half life of 61.8 hours. See also isotopes of copper. Copper (Cu) Standard atomic mass: 63. ... For other uses, see Isotope (disambiguation). ... A radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus. ... Copper (Cu) Standard atomic mass: 63. ...

Notable characteristics

Copper just above its melting point keeps its pink luster color when enough light outshines the orange incandescence color.

Copper exists as a metallically bonded substance, allowing it to have a wide variety of metallic properties.

Copper is a reddish-colored metal; it has its characteristic color because of its band structure. In its liquefied state, a pure copper surface without ambient light appears somewhat greenish, a characteristic shared with gold. When liquid copper is in bright ambient light, it retains some of its pinkish luster. Image File history File linksMetadata 029-Cu. ... Image File history File linksMetadata 029-Cu. ... Image File history File links Metallic_bond_Cu. ... Image File history File links Metallic_bond_Cu. ... Metallic bonds are found in metals like copper. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... In solid state physics, the electronic band structure, or simply band structure, refers to the dispersion relation (the relation between energy versus momentum) of electrons in a crystal. ...

Copper occupies the same family of the periodic table as silver and gold, since they each have one s-orbital electron on top of a filled electron shell. This similarity in electron structure makes them similar in many characteristics. All have very high thermal and electrical conductivity, and all are malleable metals. This article is about the chemical element. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Example of a sodium electron shell model An electron shell, also known as a main energy level, is a group of atomic orbitals with the same value of the principal quantum number n. ...

Conductivity

Copper has a high electrical and thermal conductivity, second only to silver among pure metals at room temperature.^[11] Not to be confused with electrical conductance, a measure of an objects or circuits ability to conduct an electric current between two points, which is dependent on the electrical conductivity and the geometric dimensions of the conducting object. ... K value redirects here. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... For other uses, see Room temperature (disambiguation). ...

Corrosion

Pure water and air
Copper is a metal that does not react with water (H₂O), but the oxygen of the air will react slowly at room temperature to form a layer of brown-black copper oxide on copper metal.

The Pourbaix diagram for copper in pure water, perchloric acid or sodium It can be seen that copper in "pure" water is more noble than hydrogen. As a result it does not corrode in oxygen free water and the corrosion rate in oxygenated water is low. hydroxide^[12]

It is important to note that in contrast to the oxidation of iron by wet air that the layer formed by the reaction of air with copper has a protective effect against further corrosion. On old copper roofs a green layer of copper carbonate, called verdigris or patina, can often be seen. Another notable example of this is on the Statue of Liberty. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Pourbaix diagram, also known as a potential/pH diagram, maps out possible stable (equilibrium) phases of an aqueous electrochemical system. ... Verdigris is the common name for the chemical Cu(CH3COO)2. ... The Statue of Liberty gets its green color from the patina formed on its copper surface Patinas are chemical compounds formed on the surface of metals. ... For other monuments to freedom, see Monument of Liberty. ...

In contact with other metals

Main article: Galvanic corrosion

Copper should not be in only mechanical contact with metals of different electropotential (for example, a copper pipe joined to an iron pipe), especially in the presence of moisture, as the completion of an electrical circuit (as through the common earth ground) will cause the juncture to act as an electrochemical cell (as is a single cell of a battery). The weak electrical currents themseves are harmless but the electrochemical reaction will cause the conversion of the iron to other compounds, eventually destroying the functionality of the union. This problem is usually solved in plumbing by separating copper pipe from iron pipe with some non-conducting segment (usually plastic or rubber). The Galvanic cell, named after Luigi Galvani, consists of two metals connected by an electrolyte which forms a salt bridge between the metals. ... The galvanic series determines the nobility of metals and semi-metals. ... Fe redirects here. ... A demonstration electrochemical cell setup resembling the Daniell cell. ... For other uses, see Battery. ... A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings A complex arrangement of rigid steel piping, stop valves regulate flow to various parts of the building. ...

Sulfide media

Copper metal does react with hydrogen sulfide- and sulfide-containing solutions. A series of different copper sulfides can form on the surface of the copper metal. Hydrogen sulfide (or hydrogen sulphide) is the chemical compound with the formula H2S. This colorless, toxic and flammable gas is responsible for the foul odour of rotten eggs and flatulence. ... Formally, sulfide is the dianion, S2âˆ’, which exists in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions formed from H2S or alkali metal salts such as Li2S, Na2S, and K2S. Sulfide is exceptionally basic and, with a pKa > 14, it does not exist in appreciable concentrations even in highly alkaline water. ...

The Pourbaix diagram for copper in a sulfide containing aqueous medium^[12]

Note that the copper sulfide area of the plot is very complex due to the existence of many different sulfides, a close up is also provided to make the graph more clear. It is clear that the copper is now able to corrode even without the need for oxygen as the copper is now less noble than hydrogen. This can be observed in every day life when copper metal surfaces tarnish after exposure to air which contains sulfur compounds. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Pourbaix diagram, also known as a potential/pH diagram, maps out possible stable (equilibrium) phases of an aqueous electrochemical system. ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... Tarnish is a layer of corrosion that develops over copper, brass, silver, aluminum as well as a degree of semi-reactive metals as they undergo oxidation. ...

The Pourbaix diagram for copper in a sulfide containing aqueous medium^[12]

Ammonia media Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Pourbaix diagram, also known as a potential/pH diagram, maps out possible stable (equilibrium) phases of an aqueous electrochemical system. ...

Copper does react with oxygen-containing ammonia solutions because the ammonia forms water-soluble copper complexes. The formation of these complexes causes the corrosion to become more thermodynamically favored than the corrosion of copper in an identical solution that does not contain the ammonia.

The Pourbaix diagram for copper in 10 M ammonia solution^[12]

Chloride media Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Pourbaix diagram, also known as a potential/pH diagram, maps out possible stable (equilibrium) phases of an aqueous electrochemical system. ...

Copper does react with a combination of oxygen and hydrochloric acid to form a series of copper chlorides. It is interesting to note that if copper(II) chloride (green/blue) is boiled with copper metal (with little or no oxygen present) then white copper(I) chloride will be formed.

The Pourbaix diagram for copper in a chloride solution^[12]

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Pourbaix diagram, also known as a potential/pH diagram, maps out possible stable (equilibrium) phases of an aqueous electrochemical system. ...

Mechanical properties

A single crystal copper consists of a few micrometres of small crystals. In this form of crystal (c), the yield stress is high and crystal undergoes a large amount of elastic deformation before going into the plastic deformation region. The plastic deformation region has an unpredictable outcome. The stress level decreases significantly as necking begins to occur.

Polycrystal copper has many crystal of different geometries combined. The plastic deformation of polycrystal is similar to mild steel. Copper has a high ductility and will continue to elongate as stress is applied. It is very useful in copper wire drawing.

Numerous copper alloys exist, many with important historical and contemporary uses. Speculum metal and bronze are alloys of copper and tin. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Monel metal, also called cupronickel, is an alloy of copper and nickel. While the metal "bronze" usually refers to copper-tin alloys, it also is a generic term for any alloy of copper, such as aluminium bronze, silicon bronze, and manganese bronze. Copper alloys are alloys with Copper as their principial component. ... Speculum metal is an alloy of four parts copper to one part tin. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... This article is about the metallic chemical element. ... Brazen redirects here. ... General Name, symbol, number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... Monel is a trademark comprising a series of rustless (stainless) metal alloys, primarily composed of nickel (up to 67%) and copper, with some iron and other trace elements. ... Cupronickel is an alloy of copper, nickel and strengthening impurities, such as iron and manganese. ... For other uses, see Nickel (disambiguation). ... Aluminium bronze is a type of bronze in which aluminium is the main alloying metal added to copper. ...

Germicidal effect

Copper is germicidal, via the oligodynamic effect. For example, brass doorknobs disinfect themselves of many bacteria within a period of eight hours.^[13] Antimicrobial properties of copper are effective against MRSA,^[14] Escherichia coli^[15] and other pathogens.^[16]^[17]^[18] In colder temperature, longer time is required to kill bacteria. The oligodynamic effect (greek oligos = few, dynamis = force ) was discovered in 1893 by the Swiss KW NÃ¤geli as a toxic effect of metal-ions on living cells, algae, moulds, spores, fungi, virus, procariotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, even in relatively low concentrations. ... An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microbes such as bacteria. ... MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacterium that has developed antibiotic resistance, first to penicillin in 1947, and later to methicillin. ... E. coli redirects here. ... A pathogen (from Greek pathos, suffering/emotion, and gene, to give birth to), infectious agent, or more commonly germ, is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. ...

Occurrence and modern industry

Further information: Peak copper

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