30 knowledge points about copper, involving industry, medicine, diet and other fields
As the first metal used on a large scale by humans, copper is still an important metal in industry. Human civilization and progress cannot be separated from copper. There is a shadow of copper everywhere around us, but just such a **Common metals, how much do you know about them?
1. Copper is a reddish metal with strong ductility and softness;
2. Copper is the only pure metal besides gold that is not silver or gray in color;
3. Copper has very high thermal and electrical conductivity;
4. There are more than 160 kinds of copper-containing minerals such as turquoise, malachite, and azurite, many of which show exquisite green, blue-green or blue colors. A large part of gems contain copper elements;
5. Mollusks and some arthropods, such as horseshoe crabs, 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 moisture in the air, the copper will be oxidized and form green copper oxide deposits on the surface, which is patina;
8. The Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, is a bronze statue. It looks green because there is an ultra-thin layer of patina on its surface, with a thickness of only about 0.127 mm;
9. The Statue of Liberty was originally copper-colored. It took 34 years to change from copper-colored to the current green color. It finally became the Statue of Liberty we see today around 1920;
10. Copper has been used by humans for 10,000 years. The Bronze Age was 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, transmission, electronic products and motor manufacturing due to its excellent thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance;
13. Each traditional car contains about 20 to 45 kilograms of copper, while the amount of copper in electric cars exceeds 80 kilograms;
14. Copper has many alloys, or mixtures with other metals. When copper is combined with nickel alloys, it becomes white copper. It can be used on the bottom of ships as a corrosion-resistant and anti-fouling surface; and on trumpets and trombones Or in cymbals, brass (a copper-zinc alloy) can produce a 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 problems;
18. Copper is a trace element necessary for the formation of red blood cells;
19. Foods rich in copper 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 can cause the following problems: jaundice, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia and convulsions;
21. In 2020, researchers found that the new coronavirus can survive on other surfaces for several days, but on copper, 96% of the viruses will die within 2 hours, and 99.5% of the viruses will die within 5 hours;
22. Copper-based metals are proven to destroy 99.9% of dangerous microorganisms, such as E. coli, MRSA, Staphylococcus, swine flu (H1N1), Clostridium difficile, influenza A, adenovirus, fungi, and viruses that can cause colds and pneumonia , it only takes a few minutes to 2 hours to kill these microorganisms;
23. Copper and copper alloys are already being used in hospitals on high-touch surfaces such as bed rails, call buttons and door handles, and can even be woven into socks to kill foot fungus called athlete's foot. A recent study showed that two-thirds of copper-coated stethoscopes in hospitals are completely free of microorganisms;
Copper supplies last a long time. The century-old railings at New York City's Grand Central Terminal are still as antibacterial as newly installed railings;
24. As early as 1700 BC, ancient Egyptian doctors used copper as a sterilization tool;
25. In China, copper was used to treat heart, stomach and bladder diseases in 1600 BC;
26. Copper drinking fountains have been used to prevent diarrhea in children for thousands of years;
27. Unlike gold or silver, copper atoms have one free electron, which makes them highly reactive;
28. Copper can punch holes in cell membranes and virus surfaces, destroying the RNA and DNA of microorganisms, making them unable to survive;
29. The surface of copper will never lose its antibacterial and disinfection capabilities. Even copper that has lost its luster can kill microorganisms. Of course, you should also disinfect the copper surface regularly, so that the effect will be better;
30. If copper is added to the fabric of medical masks, it can have a better protective effect.
