Copper

Known since prehistoric times, copper has remained in use longer than any other metal.
With a history of 600 years in applications based in its unique property combination: easily processed: anti-corrosion and suitable for forming alloys and has good conduction property.

It’s the only coloured common metal: red in its pure state, meanwhile its alloys range from white (nickle silver and nickle copper) to gold yellow. Copper is characterised by a face centred cubic crystal. Its pure state is native copper, but is better known under the guise of various metals such as sulphur and basic carbonates.

The element appears as badly formed crystals or threadlike masses and specially coloured tree like shapes. The principal deposits of native copper, important for metal production, are to be found in the United Status, Bolivia, Chile, Russia and Zaire. Its manufacture precedes various steps before the metal separates from the minerals, which are concentrated floating in cells with a capacity of 28 cm3, in such a way as to reach a metal tenor between 25%-35%.
Its extraction is carried out by the “dry state” method using the following processes:
Partial air calcinations obtain a mixture of oxides and sulphurs
of Cu y Fe.
Melting oxidant from the mixture in the presence of silicon and carbon obtaining the metalina(mixture of sulphur of Cu univalent and sulphur of Fe).
Melting of the metalina in the presence of silicon in the Bessemer converter, transformed to sulphur of Cu in oxide.
Reduction in mentioned oxides to produce metal.
One is advised that the different types of copper are hard to work with because they are soft and clog up the tool, they don’t adapt to the welding process, one of the reasons for its raised conductivity and why they easily submitted to gaseous reactions. Copper may be used in braze welding.

The majority of copper products are available in a strained form or forged.