As the first metal used by humans on a large scale, it is still an important metal in industry. Human civilization and progress can not leave copper. Copper is everywhere around us. But how much do you know about this most common metal?

1. Copper is a reddish metal with strong ductility and softness;

2. Copper is the only pure metal other than gold whose color is not silver or gray;

3. Copper has very high thermal conductivity and conductivity;

4. There are more than 160 kinds of copper bearing minerals such as turquoise, malachite and azurite, many of which show exquisite green, blue-green or blue, and a large part of gemstones contain copper;

5. Molluscs and some arthropods, such as horseshoe crab, have blue copper based blood;

6. Copper salts such as copper sulfate and copper chloride can produce green or blue fireworks;

7. Copper will turn brown in the air, and if there is water in the air, copper will be oxidized and form green copper oxide deposits on the surface, which is called copper green;

8. The statue of liberty in New York is a bronze statue. It looks green because there is an ultra-thin layer of bronze on its surface, with a thickness of only about 0.127 mm;

9. At the beginning, the statue of Liberty was copper, and it took 34 years to change from copper to green. Finally, it became the statue of liberty in 1920;

10. Copper has been used by mankind for 10000 years, and the bronze age is between the stone age and the bronze age;

11. In modern industry, copper is the third largest industrial metal, second only to iron and aluminum;

12. Copper is widely used in construction, power generation, power transmission, electronic products and motor manufacturing due to its excellent thermal conductivity, conductivity and corrosion resistance;

13. Each traditional car contains about 20-45 kg of copper, while the copper consumption in electric vehicles exceeds 80 kg;

14. Copper has many alloys, or mixtures with other metals. When copper is combined with nickel alloy, it will become white copper, which can be used in the bottom of ships as a corrosion-resistant and antifouling surface; In trumpet, trombone or cymbal, brass (copper zinc alloy) can produce higher quality sound;

15. More than 2 / 3 of the copper deposits on the earth are porphyry copper deposits found in igneous rocks, while more than 1 / 4 of the copper deposits are found in sedimentary rocks;

16. In 2020, China's refined copper consumption accounted for 61% of the world's consumption;

17. Copper is an essential element in life, but too much copper can also cause poisoning;

18. Copper is a necessary trace element for the formation of red blood cells;

19. Foods with high copper content include seafood, grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and chocolate. Generally, there is no need to deliberately supplement copper;

20. Excessive copper intake will lead to the following problems: jaundice, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia and convulsions;

21. In 2020, researchers found that novel coronavirus could survive on the surface of other objects for several days, but on copper, 96% of the virus would die within 2 hours, and 99.5% of the virus would die within 5 hours;

22. Copper based metals have been proven to destroy 99.9% of dangerous microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, MRSA, Staphylococcus, swine influenza (H1N1), Clostridium difficile, influenza A, adenovirus, fungi and viruses that can cause colds and pneumonia. It only takes a few minutes to two hours to kill these microorganisms;

23. Copper and copper alloys have been applied to high contact surfaces such as bed rails, call buttons and door handles in hospitals, and can even be woven into socks to kill foot fungus - beriberi. A recent study shows that two thirds of the copper-plated stethoscopes in hospitals are completely free of microorganisms;

Copper articles can be used for a long time. The railing of New York City Central Station, which has a history of 100 years, still has the same antibacterial property as the newly installed railing;

24. As early as 1700 BC, ancient Egyptian doctors used copper as a tool for sterilization;

25. In China, copper was used to treat heart, stomach and bladder diseases in 1600 BC;

26. For thousands of years, copper water dispensers have been used to prevent children's diarrhea;

27. Unlike gold or silver, there is a free electron in the copper atom, which makes it very reactive;

28. Copper can punch holes in cell membranes and virus surfaces, destroy RNA and DNA of microorganisms, and make them unable to survive;

29. The surface of copper ware will never lose its antibacterial and disinfection ability. Even tarnished copper ware can kill microorganisms. Of course, you should also do a good job in disinfecting the copper surface, so that the effect will be better;

30. If copper is added to the medical mask fabric, it can play a better protective effect.

Source: 108 black Technology