2 Why copper is so important Copper is essential for any kind of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

INDABA PRESENTATION CAPE TOWN | FEBRUARY 2017 AIM:SAV

ABOUT COPPER

AIM:SAV

Why copper is so important 2

Copper is essential for any kind

• f living. It delivers electricity

and clean water into our homes and cities and makes an important contribution to sustainable development. More than that, it is essential for life itself, being

• ne
• f

three minerals essential to the body’s well-being.

• Copper is one of the oldest metals of

mankind. It’s history traces back

• ver

10,000 years

• The Romans gave copper is name. They

called it “cyprium” (ore from Cyprus) because most copper came from Cyprus

• The Bronze age was named after the well

known copper alloy where copper is mixed with tin

• Copper was the first metal to be mined and

crafted by man. It was used for tools, weapons, art objects and ornaments

• Oman was known in ancient times as

Magan, which is the Sumerian word for copper

3 Copper history

Excellent conductor of electricity Excellent thermal conductor Malleable and can be made into thin and intricate shapes Low level of Thermal expansion Easily Joined Alloys well with other metals, Tin (Bronze), Zinc (Brass) Resists corrosion

Properties of copper 4

Copper demand 5

Copper is widely used in modern society:

Copper uses 6

An average car contains 22.5kg of Copper A typical house contains 200kg of copper, mainly in wiring and plumbing The 10, 20 and 50 euro cent coins are 89% copper A single large wind turbine contains 30,000kg of Copper An average air-conditioned contains 13kg of copper

Did you know: 7

The Statue of Liberty is made of more than 80 tonnes of copper Blue coloured fireworks get the blue colour from copper A surgeon’s scalpel is coated in copper to act as both a antibacterial agent and conductor to allow heating making the blade self-cauterizing Copper is the conductor

• f choice for protecting

buildings from lightening strikes Copper is vital for blood vessel formation, a healthy heart, brain development, stabilising collagen, as well as for healthy bones and teeth Most printed circuit boards for electronic products are made using copper

8 Copper occurrences

Native Copper Cu Copper Oxide Malachite Copper Sulphide Chalcopyrite Copper occurs in many places throughout the world and occurs in three major forms, native copper ore, copper oxide ore and copper sulphide ore.

The ore is then transported to the copper processing plant to extract the copper from the ore Copper ore is mined either via open pit or underground mining methods

Low impact exploration: soil and stream sampling 9

Multiple Stages of processing are required to turn copper into a useable product:

Copper processing 10

Copper Products

• Copper’s superior electrical and thermal conductivity along with its ability to be

100% recycled without any loss in performance, are key for copper being the material of choice when it comes to building a more sustainable energy system

• Growth in demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy will drive the

need for new copper resources

• Increased copper demand is likely to allow development of new technology to

process lower margin deposits and drive efficiency improvements in recycling, that will ensure industrial use of copper remains sustainable long into the future

The future of copper 10

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