How Is Copper Made? Cool Metal Facts For Kids To Explore!

It is believed that copper was the first metal to be used by human beings.

There is evidence of copper used on a large scale more than 10,000 years ago. It is even seen in the Bronze Age, referred to as the Chalcolithic Age (from copper stone).

Each time you walk into the kitchen or just kick-start an electrical appliance, it is the reddish metal that makes life a bit easier. Over time, copper has offered innumerable uses in industries as well as households.

Do you know what fool's gold is? The sulfide mineral, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), which is composed of sulfide, copper, and iron exhibits a lustrous yellow color which has deceived innumerable novice prospectors into considering it gold.

In Australia, chalcopyrite has been discovered in rocks that formed near the earth's crust nearly 250 million years ago. However, there's no single source of copper as the extraction of the metal has been carried out from various sources.

Copper-rich ores include chalcocite (Cu2S), covellite (CuS), and others. They can be also sourced from copper minerals such as azurite, cuprite, malachite, and tenorite, as well as native copper.

Copper occurs naturally in deposits and ores and can also be manufactured industrially. In 1842, Australia gained access to copper when it was discovered at Kapunda.

Today, the country is called the 'copper kingdom' as several of the world's biggest copper mines are situated there. Here are some illuminating facts about copper that would surely blow your mind.

If you enjoy learning about copper, then why not look into these cool ideas about how is glue made and how is glitter made.

How Copper Wire Is Made

One of the most popular uses of copper is in the production of wire. Wires form an indispensable part of the electronics industry. Here's how copper wires are manufactured.

The first stage involves the processes of crushing and mining, followed by grinding the metal for the extraction of copper. In the next step, the copper is converted into copper cathodes.

A solution of copper sulfate is formed when the oxide ores are introduced through leaching. The next step of the process involves electrowinning, after which the copper ions in their pure form swing electronically between anodes.

This is how the copper cathodes are converted into wires. Later processes include drawing, annealing, bunching, and tinning, after which these wires go through the final braiding, twisting, and jacketing for ease of handling by operators.

How is splash copper made?

Have you heard of splash copper? Splash copper is used as a coating on structures, other metals, and several stones.

The process has this name because it involves the action of splashing liquid copper. The production of splash copper simply involves pouring hot, molten copper on surfaces at a temperature of 2,200 F (1204.4 C).

When the surface cools down, a layer of the chemical patina (colored in turquoise green) is evenly applied so that the copper is preserved from tarnishing.

Splash copper is used extensively in producing jewelry as it renders an elegant shiny look to the ornaments. This splashing technique is also often applied when in the creation of sculptures.

How is copper made in the Earth?

Copper is among the handful of elements that can be procured in pure form. This naturally occurring metal can be sourced from copper minerals like bornite (Cu5FeS4), chalcocite (Cu2S), and covellite (CuS). Let's understand how pure copper formed years ago.

Did you know that Chile, located in South America, has the largest copper mine in the entire world? Its supplies contribute around 5% of the global copper supply.

Meanwhile, in North America, copper deposits are found in Morenci, Arizona. Copper is available in various forms underneath the Earth's crust.

Both sedimentary and igneous rocks contain copper. Since copper readily compounds and reacts with several other metals, it can be discovered in deposits along with some other metals including gold, silver, zinc, and lead.

Copper is found in porphyry deposits. Here, copper was formed by the processes of cooling followed by the gradual solidification of large molten masses of rock. Geologists believe that the copper was distributed over these rock masses but in comparatively low concentrations.

When the magma cooled down and crystallized, the copper started becoming concentrated. With the contraction of the rock masses, the surfaces acquired cracks where the fissures filled up with the residual molten copper.

Naturally occurring copper found near the Earth's surface goes through oxidization and chemical reactions, producing carbonate and oxide. However, the majority of the copper is extracted from sulfides that occur in the deeper layers where there's no exposure to erosion and weathering.

How Copper Is Made In Industry

Copper production also takes place on an industrial level. The purification and processing of copper from its raw state follows a complex process. Copper minerals that are mined from oxide and sulfide ores contain only 0.5-2% copper. After procuring the metal from copper mines, the process of refining depends largely on which ore the metal has been extracted from.

The sulfide ores comprising chalcocite, covellite, and chalcopyrite go through a smelting process. In this, the ore is crushed to a powdered form and then concentrated via a process called froth flotation to make the copper hydrophobic.

This is followed by the process of frothing to ensure that all impurities are adequately eliminated. This is done by bathing the mixture, and shots of air released through the water make the tiny copper particles float near the surface.

The frothy layer containing about 33% sulfur, 27% iron, and 30% copper is skimmed out for roasting. Selective flotation helps to discard impurities like gold, silver, lead, and molybdenum.

The remnants of sulfur get dissipated as sulfur dioxide and calcine copper (a mixture of copper sulfides and oxides) are produced. This calcine copper is then converted to blister copper, accompanied by the production of copper cathodes.

In the case of copper oxide ores like azurite and cuprite, a solution of copper sulfate is prepared by adding some diluted sulfuric acid into leaching tanks, where the copper reacts. This leach solution then goes through hydrometallurgical processing. Copper extracted from oxide copper ores follows the processes of solvent extraction and development.

Through solvent extraction, copper is separated using an extractant. The development process is not widely implemented as the copper extracted is not very pure.

Other processes include leaching in situ and production by recycling. Generally, when dealing with low-quality copper ores, leaching is conducted in situ. A solution of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid is used for leaching.

One of the reasons why copper is found in industries on such a vast scale is because copper is used in a variety of items that are required on a daily basis. Compared with other metals, there is great demand for copper in producing electrical equipment like wires and motors, construction works such as plumbing, and many other fields.

It is one of the most precious metals as it has gathered importance in almost every walk of life.

Copper is one of the best antibacterial agents, so it is found in kitchens in both cookware and appliances. Since copper possesses anti-corrosive properties, kitchen sinks and utensils made of copper have been preferred over steel or aluminum.

Many kitchens use copper utensils extensively for cooking owing to their excellent durability and heat conductivity properties.

In fact, the majority of the electrical appliances and gadgets that the modern world is highly dependent upon make use of copper. However, the use of copper concentrate can sometimes be hazardous, as copper concentrate emits sulfur dioxide when burning.

This metal has even made its way to jewelry, as well as the music industry. Along with gold and silver, copper bracelets, necklace, rings, and other trinkets have always been in vogue.

Copper combines easily with other metals to form copper alloys, and this form is used in the production of musical instruments.

Since pure copper is not always a viable option because of its high conduction of heat and electricity, it is often combined with zinc to form brass. Trumpets, cymbals, trombones, tubas, and other musical instruments rely heavily on this alloy.

Historically, copper has been used to make coins. Old copper pennies (before 1982) were composed of about 95% copper. Do you know how to tell a copper coin or penny from zinc? It's simple!

Just drop both pennies on the floor or any other hard surface. Copper pennies emit a ringing sound, whereas zinc ones produce clicking sounds. However, the most authentic way to identify a copper coin is by weighing them. Copper is generally heavier.

Did You Know...

If you didn't already know that the Statue of Liberty is composed of a significant amount of copper then these facts will surely come to your rescue! The structure is a remarkable emblem of friendship between France and America.

Did you know that, initially, the Statue of Liberty had a shimmery reddish-brown shade? You must be wondering how it turned green.

The Statue of Liberty is composed of four elements: copper, steel, iron, and gold. The neoclassical structure was designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.

In his unique design, Gustave Eiffel used copper to allow thermal expansion so that whenever there was a variation in temperature the dimensions of the structure would change. Therefore, the framework is composed of iron, whereas the entire coating is made of copper.

For the internal skeletal framework, steel became the most viable option as it was lighter than bronze.

In fact, the torch-bearing flame was originally composed of copper, but later it was substituted with gold during renovations. You may be surprised to know that copper and steel weighing 62,000 lb (28,122.7 kg) and 250,000 lb (113,398 kg) respectively have been used to erect the colossal statue.

The green hue of the statue is the result of patination: that is, a thin coat that forms on the outer surface of copper owing to oxidation or the chemical reaction of the metal when it comes into contact with natural agents like water. Interesting, isn't it?

The chemical nature of copper also makes for an interesting read. So, now that you know that copper is used in so many fields, it's crucial to be aware of copper's radioactivity.

Copper exists as two isotopes or types: namely Copper-63 and Copper-65. Both types are stable, hence making copper an overall stable element. This means that copper does not decay like other radioactive elements like uranium and hence demonstrates no radioactivity.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how is copper made then why not take a look at are birds warm-blooded? or are black diamonds real?