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Copper

We are in daily contact with this reddish transition metal each time we pick up a Canadian penny. Since 2000, the Canadian one cent coin has been modified to a copper-plated steel coin. Previously, it was made of copper-plated zinc.

The existence of this element had been known since ancient times. Historically, copper was the first of the metals to be used by Early Peoples, and the Bronze Age was named for the discovery of bronze – an alloy of copper and tin.

Copper's properties make it favourable for electrical conduction. Not only is it malleable and ductile, but also, copper has high electrical and thermal conductivity.

Copper is often a constituent of boilers, pipes, and valves. Over time, copper exposed to air and water develops a patina, or thin film of carbonate, which is why the pipes in our homes sometimes turn a greenish colour. In fact, the copper roof tops of the Canadian Parliament Buildings are renown for their green colour! Nonetheless these applications of copper are long-lasting.

At the National Research Council Canada (NRC), a copper mixer plate was designed to enhance precision machining. NRC scientists have also acquired considerable expertise in the field of twin-roll strip casting of various alloys, including copper alloys.