Copper
is a naturally occurring element in the earth's crust
- a metal that has been one of mankind's most useful
and valuable materials since time immemorial. In fact,
archaeologists have recovered a portion of a copper
water plumbing system from the Pyramid of Cheops was
found to be still in a serviceable condition.
Nowadays, millions of people use copper
tubes and fittings for drinking water, heating, gas
appliances and air conditioner systems. We can be sure
that copper is the reliable material and has been proven
for a long time in the building engineering. We rely
on copper tubes for their safe, reliable distribution
of natural gas and for delivering clean, fresh drinking
water to our homes. Copper tubes are preferred choice
also for heating and air-conditioning systems. A lot
of architects appreciate the benefits of copper's durability,
aesthetics and ease of installation for roofing and
wall cladding. Copper and its alloys has been decorating
our buildings inside and outside for a centuries. Because
of the copper's good electrical conductivity it has
been the material of choice for the generation of electricity
and its distribution for use in lighting, heating and
communications. Copper speeds up technology (ADSL, computers
and mobile phones...) and delivers energy and information
to our homes and offices. We can say that copper makes
from building a real convenient home.
Moreover, using copper in items such
as motors and voltage transformers improves energy efficiency.
This generates energy savings, thus reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. Using more copper also reduces heat losses
by up to 25%. It is the natural choice for exploiting
renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. Finally,
copper contributes greatly to improving the safety,
functionality and competitiveness of modern offices
and houses.
Copper is essential element for human
health and necessary for growth development. Copper
is required for infant growth, bone strength, red and
white blood cell maturation, iron transport, heart and
muscle contraction and brain development. For a number
of biochemical processes in the body to operate normally,
copper must be part of our diet. Copper is present almost
in all food items, in particular in mineral-rich foods,
which include most nuts (especially Brazils and cashews),
seeds (especially poppy and sunflower), chickpeas, liver
and oysters but also vegetables and even chocolate.
The copper can be recycled 100% without
any loss of performance. So using copper helps save
our environment and its values for the next generation.
At 2001 end, the twelve countries of the euro zone welcomed
the arrival of the new euro currency. This historic
event required 147 000 tonnes copper recycled. Copper's
naturally antibacterial properties and its extremely
low tendency to prompt allergic responses make it the
ideal material for the new euro coinage.
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