A brief history of copper

Note: This is a “reprint” of an article I wrote for the now-defunct The Cask.

The metal of metals, copper possesses several traits that have made it one of humanity’s most favored elements, despite lacking the panache of silver, gold, or platinum. For example, copper—colored red-orange in its purest state—is one of the four elemental metals, along with caesium, gold, and osmium, that’s not gray or silver. That said, there are many other significant reasons why humans have extracted copper from the earth for thousands of years. It’s malleable, highly recyclable, and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. In short, copper is an ideal metal whose use has played a pivotal role in civilization’s rise.

Our ancestors realized copper’s benefits a long time ago; the metal’s been pulled from rock and crafted into items for at least 10,000 years. The earliest known example of copper use comes in the form of a pendant, dating to 8,700 B.C., that was unearthed in the area that’s now northern Iraq. Copper also found a home in ancient Egypt (where copper tubing was used to transport water inside the Temple of King Sa’Hu-Re), India (where it was used to make lamps), Zambia (where it was used to craft burial ornaments), and other cultures of antiquity.

Those ancient peoples faced challenges in removing copper from the earth. Initially, they chipped copper from the rock in which it was embedded and hammered it into a larger mass for use in tools and weapons, but they discovered that the metal was easily broken. Fortunately, they soon learned that smelting—the act of using heat to produce metal from its ore—was the superior copper-extraction method. The earliest known evidence of smelting—dating to roughly 5,000 B.C.—was found in Serbia, but the process also independently arose in several areas across the globe, including Central America, China, and West Africa.

Around 3000 B.C., copper was combined with tin to create one of the first super-strong engineering materials known to man: bronze. The continual refinement of the copper, both in its combination with other metals and the extraction process, transformed the world by improving tools, construction, and weaponry.

The Middle Ages and the Age of Discovery saw copper applied in new and exciting ways. Copper became a part of artistic expression in Renaissance canvases and sculptures and later in styles such as daguerreotype photography. Copper also played a large role in international relations and affairs. It lined the hulls of Christopher Columbus’s famous seafaring fleet to prevent the ships from sustaining damage from salt water and biological agents. And the Statue of Liberty, France’s beautiful gift to the fledgling United States, incorporates more than 200,000 pounds of copper (her green tint comes from years of oxidation).

Our favorite use of the metal, the stills at The Glenlivet distillery, are made of 100 percent copper.

Copper use was important in the past, but it’s even more essential in contemporary times. The element’s excellent electrical conductivity makes it a cost-efficient, go-to metal for the electronics industry, with items such as batteries, microwaves, motors, smartphones, and tablets using the metal. The Copper Development Association estimates that 65 percent of all unearthed copper is purchased by the electronics industry.

One of the most significant moments in copper history occurred in 1997, when technology giant IBM adopted oxidized-copper interconnects, replacing the aluminum standard. The result was faster, smaller, and thinner computers and gadgetry due to copper’s malleability and ability to conduct electricity with 40 percent less resistance than aluminum.

The construction industry has a great need for copper, too. Copper’s bacteriostatic properties make it an excellent material for water and heating systems as it prevents bacteria from reproducing. Yes, even in the age of the ultrasleek high-rise condo, simple copper is a crucial component.

Unfortunately, contemporary copper use has raised concerns about the metal’s remaining supply. The earth contains a vast amount of copper—some estimates place the total at 10 trillion tons—but limitations of excavation and mining technology, as well as the economics of unearthing the metal, cause some to worry about the concept of “peak copper,” a hypothetical time when we’ve reached maximum copper production and have to cope with a dwindling amount.

Peak copper critics argue that the 9 million tons of copper that are recycled per year should greatly reduce the fear of a diminishing supply; copper loses no quality during the recycling process, so it can be used over and over again. In fact, recycling copper consumes 85 percent less energy than pulling the metal from the earth, so it has a relatively small environmental impact. According to the International Copper Association, an incredible 75 percent of the copper produced since 1900 is still in use.

Still, both sides agree that developing nations such as China, Brazil, and India have dramatically increased copper demand and prices. According to Oracle Mining Corp., copper traded for less than a $1 per pound in 2002; it traded for nearly $4 per pound in 2014.

Copper’s high demand—one that’s certain to increase in coming years—solidifies the metal’s status as mankind’s favorite shiny element. Copper has been an essential part of our lives since the rise of civilization, as it helped us craft the tools that make life simpler, more beautiful, and at times, sadly, deadlier. So the next time a penny finds its way into your hand, take a moment to think about the greatness within it, a greatness that’s often a reflection of our time on this planet.

Image courtesy of Fort Myers Florida Weekly.