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15 Interesting Facts About Copper

Copper ranks as the third most consumed metal in the world and this is really not a surprise because human modern life depends on it. Without this mineral, the world would be stuck at the technology level of the late 1800s. For instance, we would not have cars, air travel wouldn’t be possible, and we’d have no phones and also no radio. The beauty of copper and why it means a lot to the evolution of human beings is because of how versatile it is. It is recyclable, very durable, it resists corrosion, and many other incredible properties. Moreover, it is a perfect conductor of heat and thus basically supports human life. I mean, musical instruments, electric toothbrushes, dental filling, ultrasound, and television are all thanks to copper. So what are some of the interesting and fascinating facts about copper? Let’s have a look at them.

1. Copper has been used for at least 10,000 years

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As much as modern life heavily depends on copper, it has been in existence around people’s lives for at least 10,000 years. This is evidenced by the 1991 discovery of Otzi, the glacier mummy, in the Otzal Alps. This was in Circa 3300 BCE where he is seen having a perfectly preserved axe that was discovered to be 99.7 % copper.  Also, Neolithic communities used copper as an alternative to stone tools around 8000 BC and ancient Egyptians believed copper was sacred. That it had magical powers on whoever bestows it. With these evidences, therefore, it is realized that copper has been in existence for quite a long time and human beings have always been dependent on it.

2. It is naturally antibacterial

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One interesting fact about copper that is unknown, is that copper is a natural antibacterial agent. This is seen when bacteria, fungi, or viruses land on copper surfaces, they end up being damaged on the cell’s membrane that destroys their RNA (Ribonucleic acid) found inside an organism. This reaction prevents harmful mechanisms and organisms from mutating and developing resistance against this antimicrobial property found in copper. Due to this discovery, copper has become a popular choice for fingerplates in public buildings, handrails, and doorknobs in order to prevent the spread of bacteria. Moreover, it is used very widely in the medical industry in order to reduce infection. In fact, it is widely used as a treatment for foot fungus by having it woven into fabrics so as to come up with anti-microbial garments.

3. A copper time capsule of our planet was sent into space in 1977

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In the year 1977, NASA launched two gold-plated copper phonograph records that contained images and sound from Earth into space. The records had a number of images and recordings all in different languages and natural sounds like rain, thunder, birds, etc. It’s therefore fitting that copper was the one used to construct the records, designed to keep their data intact for millions of years. This is likely longer than humanity itself existed. No wonder it was referred to as ‘the eternal metal.’

4. Copper prevents barnacles from attaching themselves to ships

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After it was discovered that copper is toxic to invertebrates, the maritime industry, a shipping company that had faced so many challenges thanks to barnacles, mussels, and other sea life that typically infest wooden ships in large quantities, started using copper to prevent the attachment of those free-riding sea life. This practice was then pioneered and adopted by Royal Navy during the 18^th century and still continues today. Because copper has high water corrosion resistance, it is the perfect metal to protect the ship’s underbelly. As Captain Haddock stated, ‘billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles are no longer a problem for the nautical industry, thanks to copper.’

5. Copper turned the Statue of Liberty green

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Did you know that oxidized copper turned the Statue of Liberty green? When the statue was unveiled in 1886, it was a dull brown colour, the typical colour of copper metal seeing as it was comprised of more than 80 tons of copper. Then due to the oxidization of copper, the statue started to turn green, and by 1920, 34 years after the unveiling of the statue, it had completely gone green. Oxidization is not necessarily a bad thing as it protects the statue from elements and preserves metals for centuries. So if you ever want to know that you’re being conned with cheap jewelry that’s copper and not gold, if it turns your finger green then there you have it.

6. Pennies are in existence thanks to copper

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The history of the copper penny goes all the way back to 1787 when the first one was designed by Benjamin Franklin. It was minted entirely from copper and it is a part of America’s history. The humble American penny was purely made of copper and that together with the Statue of Liberty, shows how important copper is to America’s history.

7. Copper can be used in shipbuilding

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Another fascinating and interesting fact about copper is that it can be used in shipbuilding. Actually, throughout history, some form of metal has always been used to protect vessels at sea. For instance, the Greeks relied on lead all through history but by the beginning of the 1700s, copper became the material of choice for shipbuilders. It helped a great deal in preventing the growth of weeds and barnacles and reacted with water to form copper oxychloride, the perfect fungicide to control all fungi.

8. Copper was used in ancient Egypt to make different jewelry

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As noted earlier, copper is older than humankind itself. It is therefore not a surprise to see that in ancient Egypt, people used copper to make jewellery including even toe rings. For instance, archaeologists found many copper mines in Israel from the 10^th century BC. In fact, researchers argue that copper may have been the first pollutant that humans subjected the environment to. This goes to show how available it was and how much it was being used.

9. The word copper comes from the Latin word cuprum

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A Dutch historian by the name of Peter Van der Krogt argued that the word copper has several of its roots set in the Latin language, specifically the word Cuprum from the phrase Cyprium aes. Translated, this means, ‘a metal from Cyprus.’ Why Cyprus you might ask? Because at the time, copper was mostly mined in Cyprus.

10. Too much copper is a bad thing

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You know how they say too much of something is poisonous? The same applies here. Too much copper is not really a good thing because ingesting high levels of this metal can easily cause abdominal pain, jaundice and even vomiting. Jaundice is quite a risky disease since the lungs are affected and long-term exposure to copper may actually lead to having symptoms pertaining to anemia, convulsions, and even diarrhea that may be blue.

11. Levels of copper can be found in the water supply

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Due to old copper pipes that typically move water, sometimes you can find levels of copper in the water supply. This may unfortunately become a health hazard if not taken care of. For instance, in 2018 the public school system in Detroit turned off all drinking water because of the very high levels of copper and iron that were being found in water. Precaution is therefore necessary when dealing with copper because as mentioned earlier, too much of it is a bad thing.

12. Copper is now a popular metal in the medical field

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The anti-microbial properties found in copper have made it a very popular metal in the medical field and many hospitals have experimented with covering surfaces that are frequently touched like bed rails, and call buttons among others. They were covered with copper in an attempt to slow down the spread of infections that are hospital-acquired. It kills microbes and organisms that may be infectious by interfering with the electrical charge of the cell membranes of organisms.

13. Copper can help in producing futuristic electronic paper

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According to a chemical engineering professor at Monash University in Australia, copper can help produce futuristic electronic paper, wearable biosensors, and other soft electronics. He has used copper nanowires to produce a material that is highly porous, light, and strong enough to stand by itself. In the past, it was gold or silver being used but copper is a more affordable and reliable option.

14. Copper is also of interest to agricultural researches

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Researchers have been studying the effects of copper deficiencies in crops, especially wheat. Given how wheat is one of the most important staple foods in the world, copper deficiency can easily lead to both lower crop yield and lower crop fertility. Thus it is important for agriculturalists to understand how to deal with it. They’ve been studying how plants absorb and process copper and how to control all this to be in moderation.

15. Copper can save the lives of people struck by lightning

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Another fascinating and interesting fact about copper is that it can potentially save the lives of people who have been struck by lightning and also save homes and structures that have been damaged by lightning strikes.

Copper may be looked at as a lifesaver as it is quite affordable and efficient. It is a good conductor of heat meaning that electricity can easily flow through it without a lot of resistance. It also makes beautiful jewelry hence not a bad metal to have around.