MINERALS: COPPER

WHY IN NEWS?

NALCO Hindustan copper shares go up.

 Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.

ORES:

 In nature, copper occurs in a variety of minerals, including native copper, copper sulfides such as chalcopyrite, bornite, digenite, covellite, and chalcocite, copper sulfosalts such as tetrahedite-tennantite, and enargite, copper carbonates such as azurite and malachite 

ALLOYS

 Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

 Bronze usually refers to copper-tin alloys,

USES

The major applications of copper are electrical wire (60%), roofing and plumbing (20%), and industrial machinery (15%).

Copper is biostatic, meaning bacteria and many other forms of life will not grow on it. For this reason it has long been used to line parts of ships to protect against barnacles and mussels. 

Copper-alloy touch surfaces have natural properties that destroy a wide range of microorganisms. Indians have been using copper vessels since ancient times for storing water, even before modern science realized its antimicrobial properties.

 GLOBAL PRODUCTION

1.Chile

2.Peru

3.China(largest producer of refined copper)

WORLDWIDE RESERVES

The global copper reserves are estimated at 880 million

Largest reserve with

1. Chile
2. Australia
3. Peru

GLOBAL CONSUMPTION

China is the largest consumers of copper in the world.

GLOBAL TRADE

EXPORT:

Chile, Peru, Australia,Indonesia

IMPORT (2022)

• China – 58% of the world imports ($56 billion)
• Japan – 14.2% ($13.7 billion)
• Korea – 6.84% ($6.57 billion)
• India – 3.4% ($3.26 billion)