Copper is a very popular metal and it is found across the world in almost any industry. It is a fascinating metal, despite its commonality. In fact, it has a range of unique characteristics and qualities that make it useful, functional, fun, beautiful, and, some say, even healthy! By learning more about what copper is and what it has done in this world, you may be able to gain a new respect for this humble metal. And next time you scratch yourself on the copper nails in an old piece of furniture, you may find yourself slightly less annoyed.
The Many Uses of Copper
Copper is found in so many different parts of society that it would be impossible to list it all. Copper is used artistically, but also industrially, chemically, and in construction. This is possible due to the fact that copper can transform and mold again and again. As such, any industry can use a piece of copper for as long as they want, melt it, mold it into something else, and start again!
Copper was first discovered, it is believed, around 10,000 years ago, around the same time as the agricultural revolution. Since then, it became widely used across all industries and this remains true to this day. The fact that, when you hold a copper nail in your hands, it may have been used for something 10,000 years ago and has simply been reused is enough to boggle the mind! But that’s not all.
Copper is a Natural Material Found in Abundance
Copper is a natural element, and this is what also makes it very valuable. If it is 100% pure, it is very malleable and soft, and it is red to orange in color. In fact, it is the exact color most people think of when they imagine wat copper looks like. Because it is a natural material, it can be reused and recycled as often as you like, and this further increases its values. You can even recycle and reuse copper parts from other items, including cabling, nails, and machines. But most exciting is the fact that, despite having been mined for at least 10,000 years, the mines have not been depleted yet. There doesn’t seem to be another metal that is available in such abundance on earth.
Copper Helps Us Survive
There is one other very important thing to know about copper, and that is that it is essential to our survivor! Copper is found in a specific respiratory enzyme and actually forms a key component of it. It is also a dietary metal trace that is found in every single living organism. As such, it is vital to the survival of all life. If you look at mollusks or crustaceans, you will find that copper is present in the pigment of their blood, forming part of their hemocyanin. In wildlife and humans, it is found in our muscle, bone, blood, and organs. In fact, everything that lives requires copper to some degree. Our bones, muscle, and liver contain quite high elements of it, and when we die, these get returned to the earth.
