The Many Uses of Copper

Whether we’re aware of it or not, copper plays a huge role in the day to day lives of most people. From everyday household objects to the very structure of our homes and workplaces, copper has a huge presence in our lives. In this article, Hill Metal Recycling will detail some of the many ways copper can be used.

Wiring

Copper wiring is one of the most common and useful purposes of copper. As copper is such a good conductor of electricity, it’s a hugely popular choice for wiring of all manner of projects; it can be found in small electrical appliances like TVs and toasters, but it can be found running through our walls to keep homes and buildings’ electricity running. It can also be installed underground to help to bring heat into a building, such is its quality as a conductor.

Antibacterial surfaces

Copper is becoming more widely used in clinical environments like hospitals and doctors’ surgeries. This is because it has excellent antibacterial properties – bacteria cannot survive on copper surfaces, so things like doorknobs, railings and countertops are being replaced with copper to help keep bacteria at bay.

Circuit boards

Another example of copper’s importance to our daily lives. When we turn on our phones, our computers, our televisions and games consoles, we’re making use of copper. Circuit boards consist of laminating a sheet of copper onto film, and then etching lines into that copper to make the network of circuits that transport currents and make our gadgets work.

Cooking equipment

Pots, pans, utensils and more; copper makes for excellent cookware. While it might not be as ubiquitous as other materials, copper is a very fashionable material for cookware as it plays up to the faux-industrial trend sweeping homes around the world. A copper saucepan set, for example, is very striking, much more so than standard metal pans. What’s more, the antibacterial properties of copper can prevent germs from multiplying in pots and pans.

Jewellery

Believe it or not, copper is a key component of a lot of beautiful gold and sterling silver jewellery. This is because it works brilliantly as an alloy; this means it is added to more precious metals to increase their elasticity, colour, strength and corrosion resistance. While copper in itself isn’t a precious metal, it’s what helps make those precious metals look as good as they do when made into earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets.

The Large Hadron Collider

Perhaps the strongest example of the versatility of copper is the fact it is used at the absolute pinnacle of scientific discovery, as well as in the toasters in our kitchens. The Large Hadron Collider – the 16-mile particle accelerator designed to help us better understand the universe we live in – makes use of copper in its superconductors. So, even something as mind-bendingly complicated as accelerating protons at the speed of light needs trusty copper to work.

These are just some of the myriad uses of copper; the true number of ways that copper contributes to everything from menial tasks to groundbreaking innovation is enormous.

If you find that you have a collection of scrap copper that is no longer useful, then let the professionals at Hill Metal Recycling take care of it for you. With a 24-hour scrap copper collection service in Harlow, Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas, our experts can collect your scrap copper whenever is convenient for you, ensuring you get a great price in the process. For more information, please contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.