An Ode to Copper

We go about living our daily lives unaware of the behind-the-scenes role that copper plays. You read this on your computer which is functional mainly because a fair amount (about 2 kilograms!) of copper is acting as its nervous system, transporting electrical signals. If you’re tech savvy, you might be holding your smartphone, which again ‘runs’ on copper frames.

Copper is everywhere. Your car has about 22 kilograms of copper, it is in your homes and offices, in the ubiquitous telecommunication and electrical copper wires hanging on the poles, and even the shining and oh-so-precious gold needs copper to stay in shape, else it would be so soft that it would get distorted by hands or body heat. Even your body contains copper! It helps in metabolizing the nerve-guarding myelin sheaths which cause the electrical impulses to travel faster and hence make you a fairly responsive human body. 

As this ode goes on, one is bound to realize how unaware they are of the undeclared king of metals. Being the first metal to be discovered by humans, copper already has a unique place in the history books. Its first use began about nine thousand years ago and is bound to stay useful to the human race for eons to come. After some melting and mixing, we found that if we were to combine it with tin, we would have bronze, an alloy stronger than iron, and ‘marrying’ it with zinc will give birth to brass, and eventually the lovely brass bands.

Copper is something that is antique and futuristic simultaneously. It is something that Egyptian Pharaohs could claim to be theirs and a metal that is being termed as the ‘metal of the future’ because of its necessity in the battery of any electric vehicle.

The Statue of Liberty is, interestingly, made of copper. This comes as a great surprise to many of us because of the green color of the monument. The green color is verdigris, a greenish layer caused by atmospheric oxidation. It may live among the others on the Periodic Table as just another element but evidently copper wire has innumerable uses and qualities that set it apart. It is the third most consumed metal in the world after iron and aluminium and about ¾ of the copper is used in electrical wires, communication cables, and electronics. To make the wires harder, especially while putting them into electrical appliances, it is tinned. Tinned copper wire is beneficial in soldering as it is more durable. This adds to its value and makes it irreplaceable in the industry.

An interesting cultural practice that can be mentioned is the throwing of coins in water fountains and ‘holy’ water holes. Ever wondered why? In earlier times when coins were made of copper, they were thrown in the water to keep it clean, since copper is naturally antibacterial. Now, when we throw coins in water, it is practically useless, since coins are no longer made of copper.

Copper, wire or otherwise, is astonishingly 100% recyclable, and nearly 80% of the copper ever produced is still in use somewhere on the planet because of its awesome recyclability. To conclude this ode, copper is the unsung hero of our lives. You make wires out of it, or you make sheets, it doesn’t care, it’ll last much longer than expected!