Copper, Industry Sector METAL

Product & Market Data for Copper

Initial Investment	14,412,462$
Competitors	0
Licence Rating	1.40
Carbon Footprint CO2 / Sales M$	1300 tons
CO2 Allowance / Sales M$	1200 tons
Current Market Price	33.60$
Product Category	Raw Material
Initial Capacity (Units)	42491
Current Production Capacity	0
Total Sales	0$

Ranking of Companies producing Copper
Rank	Company	Last Turn	Size	Sales	Price	Stock

Industries which require Copper for Production (Demand at 1x Capacity)
Electricity (70359)	Electrical Cable (18536)	L Electric Motors (3946)	S Electric Motors (1429)	Batteries (1132)

Product Trivia

COPPER

In prehistory, copper could be found as native copper on the surface of the ground. Prospecting for copper in this environment was relatively simple. Over time, increased demand has meant that mining has turned to more marginal forms of copper to continue supply. These marginal copper sources are also much more difficult to locate. When a copper body is discovered, drilling is undertaken to determine the size of, and proportion of copper in the orebody zones (called the grade of copper).

As of 2005 Chalcopyrite ore is extensively mined in Chile, the United States, Canada, Zambia, Kazakhstan, Mauritania and Poland. In the United States, the states of Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, and Utah lead in ore mining. Indeed, the world's largest copper mine, the Chuquicamata, is located in Atacama, Chile.

Most copper currently is mined from large open pit mines that contain 0.4 to 1.0 percent copper. Examples include: Chuquicamata in Chile and El Chino mine in New Mexico.

EXTRACTING COPPER

First the copper ore from a open pit mine is blasted, loaded and transported to the primary crushers. Then the ore is crushed and screened, with the fine sulphide ore going to froth flotation cells for recovery of copper. The coarser ore goes to the heap leach, where the copper is subjected to a dilute sulphuric acid solution to dissolve the copper. Then the leach solution containing the dissolved copper is subjected to a process called solvent extraction (SX). The SX process concentrates and purifies the copper leach solution so the copper can be recovered at a high electrical current. It does this by adding a chemical reagent to the SX tanks which selectively binds with and extracts the copper. The concentrated copper solution is dissolved in sulphuric acid and sent to the electrolytic cells for recovery as copper plates (cathodes). From the copper cathodes, it is manufactured into wire, appliances, etc. that are used in every day life.

Conveyors and trucks deposit coarse ore on a heap leach pad, which has a series of pipes and hoses dispensing a diluted sulfuric acid solution to the ore. Copper is dissolved and flows to a pond at the bottom of the pad. This process can take several months.

Banks of electrowinning cells with cathodes. Copper on the anodes ranges from 99.0 to 99.5 percent pure. Power consumed in electroplating copper ranges from 0.08 to 0.20 KWH per pound of copper. Any gold or silver in the copper does not plate out and drops to the bottom of the cell with the sludge to be recovered later.

HISTORY

In Greek times, copper was known by the name chalkos (χαλκός). Copper was a very important resource for the Romans and Greeks. In Roman times, it became known as aes Cyprium.

Copper was known to some of the oldest civilizations on record, and has a history of use that is at least 10,000 years old. A copper pendant was found in what is now northern Iraq that dates to 8700 BC. By 5000 BC there are signs of copper smelting, the refining of copper from simple copper oxides such as malachite or azurite. There are copper and bronze artefacts from Sumerian cities that date to 3000 BC.

The Egyptians found that adding a small amount of tin made the metal easier to cast, so bronze alloys are found in Egypt almost as soon as copper is found. Use of copper in ancient China dates to at least 2000 BC. By 1200 BC excellent bronzes were being made in China. In Europe, Oetzi the Iceman, a well preserved male dated to 3200 BC, was found with a copper tipped axe whose metal was 99.7% pure. High levels of arsenic in his hair suggests he was involved in copper smelting.

Copper was associated with the goddess Aphrodite/Venus in mythology and alchemy, owing to its lustrous beauty, its ancient use in producing mirrors, and its association with Cyprus, which was sacred to the goddess.

THE ELEMENT

Symbol:	Cu
Atomic Mass:	63.546
Atomic Number:	29
Melting Point:	1083 �C
Boiling Point:	2567 �C
Density in Natural State:	8.92 g/cm³
Natural Abundance:	70 parts per million

structure of a copper atom

USES OF COPPER

Copper is malleable and ductile, and is used extensively, in products such as:

Copper wire.
Copper plumbing.
Doorknobs and other fixtures in houses.
Statuary: The Statue of Liberty, for example, contains 179,200 pounds (81.3 tonnes) of copper.
Electromagnets.
Motors, especially electromagnetic motors.
Electrical relays, electrical busbars and electrical switches.
Vacuum tubes, cathode ray tubes, and the magnetrons in microwave ovens.
There is increasing use of copper in integrated circuits, replacing aluminium because of its superior conductivity.
Alloyed with nickel, e.g. cupronickel and Monel, used as corrosive resistant materials in shipbuilding.
As a component of coins, often as cupronickel alloy.
In cookware, such as frying pans.
Most flatware (knives, forks, spoons) contains some copper (nickel silver).
Sterling silver, if it is to be used in dinnerware, must contain a few percent copper.
As a component in ceramic glazes, and to colour glass.
Musical instruments, especially brass instruments.
Copper(II) sulfate is used as a poison and a water purifier. It is used in gardening powders and sprays to kill mildew.
As a material in the manufacture of computer heatsinks, as a result of its superior heat dissipation capacity to aluminium.

Crazy Facts Corner

Copper doorknobs are used by hospitals to reduce the transfer of disease, and Legionnaire's Disease is suppressed by copper tubing in air-conditioning systems.
The Statue of Liberty is made of copper. It is green because the copper has reacted with the carbon dioxide in the air.
A piece of copper tubing from 5,000 years ago was unearthed by archaeologists from the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.
The sixth wonder of the world was the Colossus of Rhodes, a huge statue of Helios the sun-god, made of bronze (90% copper, 10% tin) and reinforced with iron and weighted with stones.
Copper and brass are easily recycled - perhaps 70% of the copper now in use has been recycled at least once.
An average family home contains more than 90 kilograms of copper: 40 kg of electrical wire, 30 kg of plumbing, 15 kg of builders hardware, 9 kg inside electrical appliances, and 5 kg of brass goods.
A Boeing 747-200 jet plane contains about 1.8 tonnes of copper.