Copper

Copper

Copper is one of the metals in the periodic table. Its chemical symbol is Cu, from a Latin name Cuprum. It has an atomic number of twenty-nine and an atomic weight of 63.55. It occupies number twenty-nine in the fourth period of the table. The material first discovery recorded is around 4000BC when Israel and other nations in the Middle East begun to use it.  It comes in different families, bronze and brass, taking the common of the alloys. This work explores copper from its physical properties to anecdotes of the mineral copper.

Properties of Copper

The mineral occurs in different shades, majorly in red and brown, although it can also happen in tarnishing green, blue, or red. The shades depend on the earth’s condition from where it originates. The mineral possesses a shiny streak and has an isometric shape crystal. The critical physical properties of copper include ductility and malleability. Pure copper is malleable. This quality makes the metal to accommodate extension in all direction, bend without rapturing on the application of load. It is also ductile, giving it the ability to model into small thin sizes without breaking under a mechanical force.

The most important chemical property of the metal, high electric conductivity, makes the metal take the bulk of solenoids in generators, electric motors, and general wiring. It is also useful in coin and ornament making, plumbing, and roofing in building construction and in automobiles’ radiators and electric wiring. Its extensive use in police uniform identification buttons earned the police the common name ‘Cops.’ Copper also has biological benefits and uses. Its interaction with iron in the form of hemocyanin makes it support the production of red blood cells, stimulation of the sensory and motor system, and strengthening of bones.

Minerals Mined and Geological Environment

The element occurs both as a mineral and as a pure native material. The bulk of copper derives from chalcopyrite, bornite, and chalcocite types of rocks. Chalcopyrite and bornite contain copper and iron sulfides. The metal also occurs in other stones like malachite, atacamite, brochantite, and copper oxide. Currently, the larger four copper miners include Chile, China, Peru, and the US, respectively. Copper occurs primarily as porphyry deposits that form through sedimentation. Porphyry deposits form in hydrothermal spaces found in magma chambers that rests underground in rooms. Volcanic magma leads to the formation of hydrothermal areas. The spaces allow the escape of heat to the surface of the earth that carries sand and mud, which later compresses to form sedimentary layer rocks. These rocks contain abundant copper ores.

Copper Mining

Two main methods of mining apply to copper, including open pit and underground mines. When using underground, the mining involves sinking a shaft into the earth, driving the rod in tunnels into the ore. In the open-pit method, miners quarry the minerals near the earth’s surface after removing the surface layer. The team then crushes the ore and grinds into powered before froth floatation to remove gangue, which sinks to the bottom. The ore then roasts in high temperatures of about 700 ^oC to remove impurities like sulphur before drying the calcine.

Environmental and Ethical Considerations of Copper Mining

Copper mining comes with ethical and ecological issues that need much attention. Some of the environmental problems include land degradation, deforestation, destruction of wildlife habitat, pollution of ground and surface water, and generation of acid mine drainage. The removal of the earth’s surface to access the copper deposits removes the soil minerals. The absence of  nutrients reduces soil fertility, which subsequently squashes the growth of wild plantations. It is deforestation which destroys wildlife habitats.

The ethical considerations of copper mining include its effect on life majorly. Scientists link copper aerosols with certain health complications. The mineral does not break down but moves from one level of the food chain to another. Copper joins the environment through mining in the form of air pollution, agricultural activities, and volcanic eruptions. Severe toxic levels reduce existence, reproduction, and progression of aquatic life. In human beings, high levels lead to nose and throat irritation, diarrhea, and nausea. Extremely high quantity leads to liver and kidney damage, contributes to Alzheimer’s diseases, and could ultimately cause death.

Both the environmental and ethical consideration calls for the reclamation of open pits essential. Miners should use the shifting process, leaving the previous region for recovery. Regeneration is achieved by bringing in good soils and putting plants that would bring back its fertility and prevent soil erosion.

Anecdotes about Copper   

XXXX highlights several tales about the element. Firstly, that the Liberty Statue consists of over 179 000 pounds of copper. The whole amount of the precious metal put on the statue alone is intriguing. Secondly, the fact copper is naturally antibacterial makes useful in preventing the spread of bacteria. It is thus helpful in the modeling of products that require strong impressions like hand drills, doorknobs, and fingerplates useful for public buildings. Lastly, xxx says that an average person uses 1500 pounds copper to complete his daily living, inform of telephones, automobiles, and computers. This fact makes copper the most useful mineral in human life.

References

GreenSpec – Green Building Design, Products and Materials … (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2020, from http://www.greenspec.co.uk

Copper awnings, louvers, chimney caps, cupolas & more. (2019, September 7). Retrieved from https://crescentcitycopper.com/

Welcome. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mineralseducationcoalition.org/