FEATURES Copper (Latin Cuprum, and this Kypros Greek), symbol Cu, is a chemical element with atomic number 29. This is a transition metal of a reddish color and metallic luster, together with silver and gold, is part of the so-called family of copper, characterized by being the best conductors of electricity. Thanks to its high electrical conductivity, ductility and malleability, has become the most widely used material for manufacturing electrical cables and other electrical and electronic components.
Copper is a very high amount of alloys generally exhibit better mechanical properties, while having a lower electrical conductivity. The most important are known as the bronze and brass. On the other hand, copper is a durable metal because it can be recycled almost indefinitely without losing its mechanical properties.
was one of the first metals to be used by humans in prehistoric times. Copper and its alloy with tin, bronze, acquired such importance that historians have called the Copper Age and Bronze Age to two periods of antiquity. Although its use declined in importance on the development of steel, copper and its alloys continued to be used to make objects as diverse as coins, bells and cannons. Since the nineteenth century, namely the invention of the electric generator in 1831 by Faraday, copper again became a strategic metal, as the main raw material of cables and wiring.
Copper has an important biological role in the process of photosynthesis in plants, although not part of the composition of chlorophyll. Copper contributes to the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of blood vessels, nerves, immune system and bones and is therefore an essential trace element for human life.
Copper is found in a lot of common foods in the diet such as oysters, shellfish, legumes, organ meats and nuts among others, and drinking water and therefore it is very rare to occur in copper deficiency the body. The imbalance of copper in humans causes a liver disease called Wilson's disease.
Copper is the third most used metal in the world after iron and aluminum. The world refined copper production was estimated at 15.8 Mt in 2006, with a deficit of 10.7% compared to the projected world demand of 17.7 Mt
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