What is copper used for? Copper is known for its distinctive red color and for being an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. It is a metal that has been used for thousands of years for many different uses. From jewelery and decorative objects to more technical applications. In fact, copper is so common that you have it around you almost all the time every day.
Copper for jewelry, arts and crafts
Copper has been a popular material choice for jewelry artists for thousands of years. Its color, malleability, and availability have led it to be considered a material ideal for jewelry such as bracelets , necklaces , rings , and earrings . Copper is additionally used for jewelry details and enameling because it creates an aesthetically pleasing contrast to other metals such as gold and silver. Copper is also widely used in arts and crafts where it has been a well-used material for sculptures, coinage and architectural details.
A necessary metal in industry
Copper's aforementioned very good ability to conduct electricity makes the metal indispensable in the electronics industry. There, it is used in everything from electrical wires and cables to semiconductors and other components. In addition to this, copper is also widely used in the construction industry, mainly for water and gas pipelines. That it is so widely used for such purposes is due to its durability against corrosion.
Energy and health
Thanks to copper being a good conductor of heat and electricity, the metal also plays a very large role in the renewable energy sector. Copper is used, for example, in solar panels to transmit the electricity created in solar cells. In wind turbines, copper plays an indispensable role in the generators of the power plants. Apart from this, it is worth mentioning that copper has also played a certain role in the medical field. Namely, the metal has antibacterial properties, which makes it an ideal material for medical tools and hospital surfaces.
