the important uses of copper

Copper is malleable and ductile, a good conductor of heat and, when very pure, a good conductor of electricity.
It is used extensively, in products such as:

Electronics:

Copper wire.
Electromagnets.
Printed circuit boards.
Electrical machines, especially electromagnetic motors and generators.
Electrical relays, electrical busbars and electrical switches.
Vacuum tubes, cathode ray tubes, and the magnetrons in microwave ovens.
Wave guides for microwave radiation.
Integrated circuits, increasingly replacing aluminium because of its superior electrical conductivity.
As a material in the manufacture of computer heat sinks, as a result of its superior heat dissipation capacity to aluminium.


圖片參考：http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/da/Minneapolis_City_Hall.JPG/200px-Minneapolis_City_Hall.JPG



圖片參考：http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png
Copper roof on the Minneapolis City Hall

Structural Engineering:

Statuary: The Statue of Liberty, for example, contains 179,200 pounds (81.3 tonnes) of copper.
Alloyed with nickel, e.g. cupronickel and Monel, used as corrosive resistant materials in shipbuilding.
Watt's steam engine.

Household Products:

Copper plumbing fittings and compression tubes.
Doorknobs and other fixtures in houses.
Roofing, guttering, and rainspouts on buildings.
In cookware, such as frying pans.
Most flatware (knives, forks, spoons) contains some copper (nickel silver).
Sterling silver, if it is to be used in dinnerware, must contain a few percent copper.
Copper was sometimes used by the Inuit to make the cutting blade for ulus.
Copper water heating cylinders

Coinage:

As a component of coins, often as cupronickel alloy.
Euro coins contain different copper alloys
Since 1982, U.S. Pennies are 0.8% copper by weight (Balance zinc 99.2%).
U.S. Nickels are 75.0% copper by weight (Balance nickel 25.0%).
Since 1965, U.S. Dimes and Quarters are 91.67% copper by weight (Balance nickel 8.33%).

Biomedical applications:

As a biostatic surface in hospitals, and to line parts of ships to protect against barnacles and mussels, originally used pure, but superseded by Muntz Metal. Bacteria will not grow on a copper surface because it is biostatic. Copper doorknobs are used by hospitals to reduce the transfer of disease, and Legionnaires' disease is suppressed by copper tubing in air-conditioning systems.
Copper(II) sulfate is used as a fungicide and as algae control in domestic lakes and ponds. It is used in gardening powders and sprays to kill mildew.
Copper-62-PTSM, a complex containing radioactive copper-62, is used as a Positron emission tomography radiotracer for heart blood flow measurements.

Chemical applications:

Compounds, such as Fehling's solution, have applications in chemistry.
As a component in ceramic glazes, and to color glass.

Catalysis:

Used in the Water gas shift reaction which converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.
Steam reforming which extracts hydrogen from hydrocarbons.

Others:

Musical instruments, especially brass instruments and cymbals.

The applications of copper :

Native copper specimenCopper is malleable and ductile, a good conductor of heat and, when very pure, a good conductor of electricity.

It is used extensively, in products such as:
Electronics:
Copper wire.
Electromagnets.
Printed circuit boards.
Electrical machines, especially electromagnetic motors and generators.
Electrical relays, electrical busbars and electrical switches.
Vacuum tubes, cathode ray tubes, and the magnetrons in microwave ovens.
Wave guides for microwave radiation.
Integrated circuits, increasingly replacing aluminium because of its superior electrical conductivity.
As a material in the manufacture of computer heat sinks, as a result of its superior heat dissipation capacity to aluminium.

Copper roof on the Minneapolis City HallStructural Engineering:
Statuary: The Statue of Liberty, for example, contains 179,200 pounds (81.3 tonnes) of copper.
Alloyed with nickel, e.g. cupronickel and Monel, used as corrosive resistant materials in shipbuilding.
Watt's steam engine.

Household Products:
Copper plumbing fittings and compression tubes.
Doorknobs and other fixtures in houses.
Roofing, guttering, and rainspouts on buildings.
In cookware, such as frying pans.
Most flatware (knives, forks, spoons) contains some copper (nickel silver).
Sterling silver, if it is to be used in dinnerware, must contain a few percent copper.
Copper was sometimes used by the Inuit to make the cutting blade for ulus.
Copper water heating cylinders

Coinage:
As a component of coins, often as cupronickel alloy.
Euro coins contain different copper alloys
Since 1982, U.S. Pennies are 0.8% copper by weight (Balance zinc 99.2%).
U.S. Nickels are 75.0% copper by weight (Balance nickel 25.0%).
Since 1965, U.S. Dimes and Quarters are 91.67% copper by weight (Balance nickel 8.33%).

Biomedical applications:
As a biostatic surface in hospitals, and to line parts of ships to protect against barnacles and mussels, originally used pure, but superseded by Muntz Metal. Bacteria will not grow on a copper surface because it is biostatic. Copper doorknobs are used by hospitals to reduce the transfer of disease, and Legionnaires' disease is suppressed by copper tubing in air-conditioning systems.
Copper(II) sulfate is used as a fungicide and as algae control in domestic lakes and ponds. It is used in gardening powders and sprays to kill mildew.
Copper-62-PTSM, a complex containing radioactive copper-62, is used as a Positron emission tomography radiotracer for heart blood flow measurements.

Chemical applications:
Compounds, such as Fehling's solution, have applications in chemistry.
As a component in ceramic glazes, and to color glass.

Catalysis:
Used in the Water gas shift reaction which converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.
Steam reforming which extracts hydrogen from hydrocarbons.

Others:
Musical instruments, especially brass instruments and cymbals.

2007-02-09 09:13:53 補充：
銅的最普遍用途在於製造電線，這是因為它的導電性和導熱性都僅次於銀，但卻比銀便宜得多。而銅可用於製造多種合金，重要的有以下幾種：黃銅：黃銅是銅與鋅的合金，因色黃而得名。黃銅的機械性能和耐磨性能都很好，可用於製造精密儀器、船舶的零件、槍炮的彈殼等。黃銅敲起來聲音好聽，因此鑼、鈸、鈴、號等樂器都是用黃銅製做的。 航海黃銅：銅與鋅、錫的合金，抗海水侵蝕，可用來製作船的零件、平衡器。

2007-02-09 09:14:47 補充：
青銅：銅與錫的合金叫青銅，因色青而得名。青銅一般具有較好的耐腐蝕性、耐磨性、鑄造性和優良的機械性能。用於製造精密軸承、高壓軸承、船舶上抗海水腐蝕的機械零件以及各種板材、管材、棒材等。青銅還有一個反常的特性—「熱縮冷脹」，用來鑄造塑像，冷卻後膨脹，可以使眉目更清楚。 磷青銅：銅與錫、磷的合金，堅硬，可製彈簧。 白銅：白銅是銅與鎳的合金，其色澤和銀一樣，銀光閃閃，不易生銹。常用於製造硬幣、電器、儀錶和裝飾品。 十八開金（18K金）：6/24的銅與18/24的金的合金。紅黃色，硬度大，可用來製作首飾、裝飾品。節錄自維基百科