Uses and Applications of Copper
Application of copper
Copper is a non-ferrous metal that is closely related to human beings. It is not only rich in natural resources but also has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, ductility, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and other excellent properties. It is widely used in power, electronics, energy and petrochemical, machinery and metallurgy, transportation, light industry, emerging industries and other fields. It is second only to aluminum in the consumption of non-ferrous metal materials in my country.
Power industry
Power transmission such as wire cables, transformers, switches, plug components and connectors; motor manufacturing such as stators, rotors, shaft heads and hollow wires; communication cables and residential electrical lines also need to use a large number of copper wires.
Electronic industry
Copper foil vacuum devices such as high-frequency and ultra-high-frequency transmitting tubes, ferry tubes, magnetrons, etc., they require high-purity oxygen-free copper and dispersion-strengthened oxygen-free copper. Copper printed circuits require a large amount of copper foil and copper-based brazing materials. Copper is used instead of aluminum in silicon chips as interconnects and lead frames in integrated circuits.
Energy and petrochemical industry
The main condenser tube plates and condenser tubes of thermal power plants in the energy industry are made of brass, bronze or white copper. Solar heaters are also often made of copper tubes. Petrochemical industry copper and many copper alloys are widely used to manufacture various containers, piping systems, filters, pumps and valves, various evaporators, heat exchangers and condensers that come into contact with corrosive media. Marine industry Since copper is not only resistant to seawater corrosion, but also the copper ions dissolved in water have a bactericidal effect and can prevent marine biofouling, copper and its copper alloys are very important materials in the marine industry. They have also been widely used in desalination plants, offshore oil and gas production platforms, and other coastal and submarine facilities, such as pipeline systems, pumps and valves used in the desalination process, and equipment used on oil and gas production platforms, including bolts for splash zones and underwater, anti-biological fouling sleeves, pumps and valves, and piping systems.
Transportation industry
Aluminum bronze in the shipbuilding industry Copper alloys include aluminum bronze, manganese bronze, aluminum brass, gunmetal (tin-zinc bronze), white copper and nickel-copper alloy (monel alloy), which are all standard materials for shipbuilding. In warships and merchant ships, copper and copper alloys are generally used as aluminum bronze propellers, bolts, condensers, rivets, copper-coated paints, etc. In the automotive industry, copper and copper alloys are mainly used for radiators, brake system pipes, hydraulic devices, gears, bearings, power distribution and power systems, brake friction pads, washers, and various joints, accessories and accessories. The motors, rectifiers, and control, braking, electrical and signal systems on railway trains also rely on copper and copper alloys to work. In addition, the electrification of railways requires a large amount of copper and copper alloys. Copper materials are required for wiring, hydraulic, cooling and pneumatic systems in aircraft, aluminum bronze pipes are used for bearing retainers and landing gear bearings, and antimagnetic copper alloys are used for navigation instruments.
Mechanical and metallurgical industry
In addition to the large amount of copper used in motors, circuits, hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems and control systems in mechanical engineering, various transmission parts and fixing parts, such as cylinder liners, connectors, fasteners, gears, twisting parts, etc., all need to use copper or copper alloys for friction reduction and lubrication. Crystallizers, key components in the continuous casting technology of metallurgical equipment, are mostly made of high-strength and high-thermal-conductivity copper alloys such as chromium-copper and silver-copper. The water-cooled crucibles of vacuum arc furnaces and electric slag furnaces in electrometallurgy are made of copper pipes. Various induction heating induction coils are wound with copper pipes or special-shaped copper pipes, and water is passed through them for cooling. Alloy additives Copper is an important additive element in alloys such as steel and aluminum. A small amount of copper added to low-alloy structural steel can improve the strength of steel and its resistance to atmospheric and marine corrosion. Adding copper to corrosion-resistant cast iron and stainless steel can further improve their corrosion resistance.
Application in light industry
Copper and copper alloys can be used to manufacture heat exchangers for air conditioners, clock movements, mesh cloths for paper machines, rollers, printing copper plates, fermentation tank linings, distillation pots, architectural decorative components, etc.
Emerging industries and high-tech fields
Copper is also used in emerging industries and high-tech fields, such as sheaths for superconducting alloys, containers and pipelines for ultra-low temperature media, cooling inner villages for rocket engines, and magnet windings for high-energy accelerators.
