Native Copper 1 Piece 31.1 gr - mm 39 x 30 x 20 Metals Raw Minerals Stones Rocks for Collection, only a piece, as in photo.
N.B. the presence of green portions in the metal is due to its natural oxidation state.
Also available in Nuggets form, at this link.
Copper is the transition chemical element with atomic number 29 and its symbol is Cu. Metallic Copper is the second best conductor of electricity after Silver, followed by Gold. It is also called "red gold" due to its coloring.
In all likelihood, copper is the metal that humanity has been using for the longest time: copper objects have been found dating back to 8,700 BC. The name comes from the spoken Latin aramen.
Only later was it replaced (Pliny) by the word cuprum, from which the chemical symbol of the element derives. In Roman times, most of the copper was extracted from the island of Cyprus, a fact that was underlined with the term aes Cyprium, "copper or bronze from Cyprus". In fact, in Roman times there was no difference between copper and bronze.
Copper is almost always found in the form of minerals and much more rarely in its native state in the form of nuggets.
Copper is a ductile metal with excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. Metallic copper is the second best conductor of electricity after silver, followed by gold. Pure copper is a fairly soft metal and has a pinkish or peach color. It is an essential trace nutrient for all plant and animal life. In animals, including humans, it is found primarily in the bloodstream, as a cofactor in various enzymes and copper-based pigments.
The main mines are located along the Andes and the Rocky Mountains: the main mining countries are Chile, Peru, China, Congo and the United States.
Italy is not a country rich in copper, despite the mines, all medium-small, were present throughout the territory of the state. Usually in these quarries the copper was in fine veins, and the minerals extracted did not contain much copper. Copper is now a rare metal as it is used in various forms for industry and various wiring, its function as an energy transmitter makes it highly sought after to make it uncommon.
Some of the main mines are open cast. The minerals are based on sulphides such as chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), bornite (Cu5FeS4), chalcocite (Cu2S) and covellite (CuS); or of oxides such as cuprite and chrysocolla, or even of carbonates such as malachite and azurite.
The reserves are estimated at 790 million tonnes (Mt), the discovered and unexploited deposits at 1,310 Mt, the undiscovered and expected at 3,500 Mt. The total expected deposits, including the discovered (exploited and unexploited) deposits is therefore of 5,600 Mt. This figure does not include the vast deposits on the ocean floor in the form of manganiferous or sulphide nodules.
Considering the annual extraction rate - 20 Mt -, one could erroneously extrapolate a depletion of reserves in about 40 years, but in fact others will be added in the meantime, thanks to the continuous discoveries of deposits and the progress of extraction methods. This will keep the availability of copper stable, which for these reasons has fluctuated around 35-40 years since 1950.
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