COPPER
JILLIAN SZACHURY
Copper is a noble metal that has a lot of characteristics. Is known to be a soft, malleable, and ductile metal, and also an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. In fact, copper is used for these purposes more often than any other metal. Most copper occurs in ores and must be smelted, or extracted from its ore, for purity before it can be utilized. Copper has a long history in critical heat transfer components used in air-conditioning systems due to its unique properties, including high thermal conductivity, formability, corrosion resistance, ease of joining, and infinite recyclability. Numerous methods can be used to form copper alloys into sheet, plate, rod, wire, and irregular shapes. Some of these methods that we are well aware of to form copper are known as bending, casting, stamping, spinning, and so many more.
Figure 2: Copper can also be used to bring color into a space, where in this image it used as back splash in a kitchen space.
The interior spaces above present variously different ways of utilizing the material copper Because of its unique color and texture, copper is used in spaces to attract one's eye. Using this noble metal can allow a contrast of texture, color, and volume in a space. This material can be an accent of a specific furnishing, which is presented in Figure 1 and Figure 5, where parts of both the table and chair are made from this incredible material. We also see this metal being used on walls, which is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4, which not only brings color into the room but also allows visitors of this space to draw attention or focus towards that specific part of an interior space. Lastly, aside from using copper in furnishings, floors, ceilings and walls, it can also be used in light fixtures, which we can see a perfect example of that shown in Figure 3. One may think that the light fixtures do not make or break a room, but in reality, incorporating an extravagant and unique light fixture could be a great addition to an interior space that could make the space more appealing than before!
Some other organizations that test out this material are listed below:
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Copper Development Association
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Eurometaux
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International Copper Association
The image to the right is an example of a sheet of copper, that was hammered and smelted to create a unique animal print design. In order to clean this slab of metal without doing any harm to the material is by using a soft cloth, cotton, or brushes with soft bristles. If you'd like to keep it natural, homemade cleaning solutions such as lemon juice plus baking soda or a combination of flour, salt, and vinegar can be used for copper items.
The environmental impact of copper is both positive and negative, which a few reasons for this are listed below:
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Around 95% of all copper ever mined and smelted has been extracted since 1900.
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Copper along with oil and gold are among the most traded commodities.
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Copper doesn’t break down in the environment, leading to its accumulation in plants and animals.
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Absorption of some copper into the body is essential for human health.
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Occupational exposure to copper can result in relatively minor conditions
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Acute industrial exposure to copper fumes, dusts or mists can result in chronic copper poisoning.
Figure 5
Figure 3: Copper oftentimes can bring color into a space, where here it is intending to bring color and light into a space.
ASTM's copper standards are instrumental in classifying, evaluating, and specifying the material, chemical, and mechanical properties of copper materials. Some specific tests that ATSM completes are:
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B271 / B271M - 18 Standard Specification for Copper-Base Alloy Centrifugal Castings
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B950 - 20 Standard Guide for Editorial Procedures and Form of Product Specifications for Copper and Copper Alloys
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B154 - 16 Standard Test Method for Mercurous Nitrate Test for Copper Alloys
