Copper is a ductile, malleable, and soft chemical element. Copper is an excellent conductor of both heat and electricity. The atomic number and symbol for copper are both Cu. For copper to melt, it must be heated to 1,085°C (1,085°F).
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We’re still using copper today since it was the first metal to be worked by humans. Copper was originally utilized as a stone replacement at approximately 8,000 BCE, and human beings started casting copper to form it in molds around 4,000 BCE.
Carbonates and chlorides are among the copper compounds that may be reduced from basaltic lavas to produce copper.
The majority of copper is found in igneous and sedimentary rocks. After smelting, copper is removed from its ores and then electroplated from sulphate solutions to produce copper for commercial use.
After iron and aluminum, copper is the world’s third-most-used industrial metal. In the electrical industries, nearly three-quarters of copper output is utilized to construct electrical lines, telecommunication cables, and electronic devices.
When it comes to thermal and electrical conductivity, copper is only second to silver. Alloys are formed by mixing them with other metals. Brasses, bronzes, and nickel silvers are common alloys.
Oxidation causes copper to glow green because it loses electrons when exposed to water and oxygen. The Statue of Liberty appears green rather than orange-red may be attributed to this chemical reaction.
Chile
Chile produces the most copper in the world each year. Chile has continuously produced above 5.5 million metric tonnes of copper throughout the last several years, amounting to 5,831,600 metric tonnes in 2018.
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Copper’s largest known deposit is a porphyry deposit in the Andes. Since the early 21st century, Chile has been the world’s top copper producer.
Peru
Copper production in Peru ranks second in the world. From 2015 to 2019, Peruvian copper output grew by 77%. It is expected that Peru will generate more than 2.5 million metric tonnes of copper in 2019.
A growing role of Chinese investment in the Peruvian copper sector is likely to outstrip Chile’s production growth.
China
A total of 1,561,100 metric tonnes of copper were mined in China in 2018. Its production in 2015, 2016, and 2017 was somewhat lower than this year.
With a total copper import bill equal to the amount of copper it produces, China is the world’s greatest metal user. In 2020, China’s copper imports were predicted to fall.
Congo
A total of 1,239,059 metric tonnes of copper were produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018. Katanga Province’s Copper Belt accounts for the bulk of the country’s copper output. China, like Peru, has invested in copper mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Gécamines, the state mining firm, recently launched the Deziwa copper and cobalt mine and processing facility. In this joint venture, a Chinese metal mining corporation has the majority stake in the mine and the processing facility.
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States of America
The United States produced an estimated 1,220,000 metric tonnes of copper on a global scale in 2018. This year’s total is down somewhat from prior years.
Copper production in the United States is centered in the Southwest. Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana are the most copper-producing states in the United States.
Country | 2018 (Metric Tons) | 2017 (Metric Tons) | 2016 (Metric Tons) | 2015 (Metric Tons) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chile | 5831600 | 5503500 | 5552600 | 5772100 |
Peru | 2436951 | 2445585 | 2353859 | 1700817 |
China | 1561100 | 1706400 | 1851000 | 1706400 |
DR Congo | 1239059 | 1094638 | 1023687 | 1039007 |
United States | 1220000 | 1260000 | 1430000 | 1380000 |
Australia | 913336 | 849121 | 947555 | 995881 |
Zambia | 861946 | 799329 | 774290 | 711515 |
Russia | 785300 | 762300 | 702300 | 711400 |
Mexico | 696580 | 742246 | 793982 | 594451 |
Indonesia | 651132 | 621979 | 727959 | 586914 |
Kazakhstan | 632550 | 540700 | 471500 | 467500 |
Canada | 542932 | 597194 | 695508 | 714647 |
Poland | 401300 | 419300 | 424276 | 425870 |
Brazil | 381000 | 384542 | 338921 | 350940 |
Iran | 316380 | 295653 | 282500 | 254709 |
Mongolia | 309750 | 314920 | 374260 | 335850 |
Spain | 186500 | 204606 | 172522 | 129788 |
Myanmar | 179310 | 126930 | 94390 | 69850 |
Laos | 154948 | 153304 | 167679 | 167702 |
Bulgaria | 112850 | 110290 | 111870 | 112600 |
Sweden | 106140 | 104594 | 79247 | 75113 |
Papua New Guinea | 96277 | 105448 | 80022 | 45185 |
Turkey | 87000 | 85200 | 107300 | 108000 |
Philippines | 69933 | 68156 | 83649 | 83835 |
Armenia | 68928 | 95793 | 95080 | 51765 |
Saudi Arabia | 59650 | 43150 | 27840 | 12340 |
Portugal | 49064 | 63812 | 74352 | 83081 |
South Africa | 46900 | 65532 | 65257 | 77360 |
Finland | 46755 | 53144 | 47488 | 41805 |
Serbia | 44096 | 45115 | 34625 | 31601 |
Ecuador | 42200 | 8200 | 40200 | 1400 |
Uzbekistan | 38000 | 100000 | 100000 | 100000 |
India | 35450 | 31820 | 29670 | 34220 |
Morocco | 34500 | 35420 | 31810 | 26850 |
Mauritania | 28137 | 28791 | 32818 | 45001 |
Vietnam | 22440 | 21100 | 22300 | 24420 |
Republic of the Congo | 18018 | 15979 | 0 | 0 |
Argentina | 17435 | 33303 | 81902 | 61765 |
Eritrea | 17300 | 7900 | 25300 | 61600 |
Georgia | 15250 | 14700 | 12200 | 11700 |
North Korea | 15000 | 15000 | 20000 | 15000 |
Pakistan | 12538 | 10052 | 14136 | 13056 |
Tanzania | 10000 | 15800 | 17400 | 16800 |
Colombia | 9918 | 9356 | 8493 | 5463 |
Zimbabwe | 9077 | 8839 | 9101 | 8218 |
Dominican Republic | 8588 | 9618 | 9725 | 7324 |
Tajikistan | 8490 | 6060 | 2050 | 1390 |
Romania | 8165 | 8160 | 8390 | 7710 |
Kyrgyzstan | 7944 | 8356 | 8638 | 3100 |
Namibia | 5900 | 15466 | 16391 | 13913 |
Bolivia | 5216 | 7219 | 8718 | 9479 |
Albania | 3780 | 0 | 2020 | 2190 |
Azerbaijan | 1650 | 2063 | 1947 | 969 |
Botswana | 1462 | 1239 | 13120 | 22284 |
Cyprus | 908 | 1293 | 1754 | 2121 |
Slovakia | 21 | 32 | 39 | 58 |
Oman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8650 |
South Korea | 0 | 7 | 117 | 0 |