Copper is the most widely-used metal on Earth and has been used in construction for thousands of years. As an alloy, copper forms electrically conductive alloys with metals such as silver, gold and steel. In its purest form, copper is a light metallic-looking brown that solidifies into a soft metal or stone at room temperature.
It is naturally found in many types of rocks and can be found in abundance in certain regions including Chile, Canada, and the United States. For centuries, copper has been a major material used to make coins and plumbing.
Copper is primarily mined from open pit operations and underground mines. The most common method of extraction is by concentrating the ore which consists of sand, rock and water. After milling, the concentrate is sent to either smelting or electrorefining plants for further processing.
As a commodity, copper has been traded internationally since approximately 1500 B.C. It has been mined at least 7000 years ago and its earliest use may have been to make copper tools used in early agriculture.
Copper is used in alloys for wires, pipes, plumbing and plumbing fittings. The following information is only relevant if you are a business owner or manager operating in this sector: There are around 1,000 industrial applications for copper and its alloys. Copper has long been the material of choice for construction and copper soldering has been done since the early 1900’s.
The most common uses of copper include use in electrical wiring (stranded wire), water pipes (plain copper or galvanized steel), corrosion resistant piping, plumbers’ supplies (caulking materials) and thermometer/thermostat housings. The common properties of copper that make it such a popular material for use in construction are its malleability and conductivity.
With over 100 years of mining experience, Teck Resources Ltd. (Teck) is a Canadian leader in metals mining, producing primarily copper and zinc from mines located in leading mining jurisdictions around the world.
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