The late novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky once noted, “It’s life that matters—the process of discovering, the everlasting and perpetual process, not the discovery itself.” Each discovery from the past has continually paved the way towards something in the future. The discovery of usable metals is one such unearthing brought to light. This breakthrough paved the path for industrialization—our modern world would otherwise not exist as we know it.
Did you know that historians consider copper as the earliest metal uncovered by prehistoric humans? As a mineral and an element, its unique properties—malleability, corrosion resistance, recyclability, ductile strength, and high electrical and thermal activity—have made the metal integral to technological and engineering advancements. Let’s take a closer look now at a few of the most valuable uses of copper in our daily lives.
Wearable and Usable Items: Jewelry Pieces and Coins
As an easily malleable base metal, copper serves as a functional addition to precious metals. This element enhances color, elasticity, firmness, flexibility, and corrosion resistance. People seek copper alloys for creating utensils, coins, belt buckles, cufflinks, and jewelry pieces. Copper’s hypoallergenic properties prove particularly beneficial within sterling silver pieces.
Home and Household Services
Copper may not be the best electric conductor of all metals, but it’s unequivocally the most abundant and affordable in comparison. The majority of wiring within an average home is copper-plated. Reliable copper pipes also sheath a range of household elements, such as wall plumbing or heated stoves. Copper is an effective common electrical conductor in residential appliances, including microwaves, dishwashers, and refrigerators.
Technological and Media Devices
As a metal, copper is also conductive material for different PCB circuitry—found in a wide array of manufactured wired equipment and electronic devices. Virtually every electronic under the sun contains a traceable amount of copper, including smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, and electric-powered motors. Engineers design printed circuit boards and microprocessors that utilize copper due to their high conductivity and reliability.
Health and Wellness: Medical Settings
One of the most valuable uses of copper in our daily lives is within the medical sector. Advanced medical devices, tech, and equipment require copper to transmit signals for functional use. Some examples include CT scans, MRIs, X-ray machines, small implants, and other diagnostic tools. Copper also kills a plethora of germs on contact due to its anti-microbial properties. Research proves that copper touch surfaces help halt the spread of bacterial infections within everyday medical or public settings.
Renewable Energy
Sustainability is the name of the game in the 21st century. Copper is one of the leading accessible renewable resources. Due to copper’s innate properties, humankind can make use of this element over and over again without any loss in performance. As an efficient conduit, copper is vital in renewable energy systems to generate solar, hydro, thermal, and wind energy across the globe. Copper may have a minimal impact on the environment, but it has a paramount influence on our world.
