Snapshot of Copper
Copper Description
Copper is one of the few metals that can occur in nature in a directly usable metallic form. Copper is very durable, soft, malleable and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. It conducts electrical current better than any other metal except silver. Copper is recyclable without any loss of quality, copper's recycling rate is higher than any other engineering metal. Copper is used mostly as a pure metal, but when greater hardness is required, it is put into such alloys as the most well-known copper alloy families are brass (copper-zinc) and bronze (copper-tin)
Advantages of Copper parts
Copper is Durable and will not rust. Copper's ability to be recycled, again and again, without any loss in performance, is an important sustainable benefit. Copper has the highest thermal conductivity of any engineering metal. Copper has the highest electrical conductivity of any engineering metal. Copper’s antimicrobial effect and supports its use in applications where control of contamination benefits.
Copper Uses
Electrical wires and cables, plumbing material, architectural and building material like roofing, hardware items, down pipes, fascia, gutters, Electrodes for spark erosion EDM machine, utensils, pans, jewellery, art and craft, decorative items, statues.
Finishing examples of Copper prototypes
Available Finishes
- Machine finish
- Polished finish
- Mirror polished finish
- Bead blast finish (to give satin texture)
Copper material Spec
| Property | Data |
|---|---|
Density
|
8.92 g/cm3 |
Tensile Strength (Mpa)
|
220 Mpa |
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
|
115 GPa |
Thermal Conductivity (k)
|
385 W/m-K |
Melting Point (℃)
|
1083℃ |
Note: This Data is indicative only
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Further considerations
Copper is extremely useful in many areas and also able to be recycled over and over. Copper’s high conductivity makes it greatly efficient. Mixture of Copper and Tin to make Bronze, which is a harder metal than copper. Brass is another useful alloy of copper and zinc.
Limitations
Copper is expensive and susceptibility to corrosion
