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Why is copper so important in the metal industry? Just google “copper industry” and you will get umpteen names of industries that are based on copper. Copper (Chemical symbol – Cu) is one of the best conductors of electricity of all metals and is extensively used by the metal industries which manufacture wires. Defined by some as “the material that tied the world together in telecommunications”, Copper is indeed very versatile and can be put to plenty of uses, and most importantly, it is available in abundance.

An interesting fact about copper is that the Statue of Liberty is covered in more than 62,000 pounds of copper! The distinct green colour of the statue is because of the exposure to air. Also known as patina, this condition resulted in the first 25 years after the statue was placed.

It is very easy to identify copper because of its light reddish colour, which can change to a gritty green colour when oxidized. Copper is used widely in not only metal industry but also in industries manufacturing jewelry, circuit boards, water pipes and the architectural sector.

Let us look back into the past of this humble metal and understand more about its origin. According to the discoveries made by archaeologists, copper was the first metal to be used by the Neolithic mankind. They used copper as a substitute for stone tools.

That was 10,000 years ago. In 2002, the top six sectors of consumption of copper in North America were the building wire sector, plumbing and heating, in automotive, power utilities, refrigeration, telecommunications and air conditioning.

According to the International Copper Association, in the year 2003, the global consumption of copper was about 21 million short tons. And this amount has increased over the years. Some of the leading producers of copper are from mines in Asia, Africa, North and South America and the Middle East.

After extraction from ores that are rich in copper sulfides, copper is refined and then converted into different industrial forms and then sold. Coppers are usually sold as copper cathodes. One of the advantages of copper is that it is readily and easily recyclable.

You will be surprised to know that most of the items in our life are directly or indirectly related to Copper. For example: Bronze, which is used in coins, artworks or cymbals, consist of 90-95% copper by weight. Brass, which is used to make door knobs, is about 50-90% of Copper by weight. Nickel silver, which appears similar to silver, is not made up of silver, but 60% of it is copper. Also copper is used in cookware as well, because of its ability to draw heat to the food stored inside such cookware.