INDABA PRESENTATION CAPE TOWN | FEBRUARY 2017 A BOUT C OPPER AIM:SAV AIM:SAV
2 Why copper is so important Copper is essential for any kind of living. It delivers electricity and clean water into our homes and cities and makes an important contribution to sustainable development. More than that, it is essential for life itself, being one of three minerals essential to the body’s well-being.
3 Copper history • Copper is one of the oldest metals of mankind. It’s history traces back over 10,000 years • The Romans gave copper is name. They called it “ cyprium ” (ore from Cyprus) because most copper came from Cyprus • The Bronze age was named after the well known copper alloy where copper is mixed with tin • Copper was the first metal to be mined and crafted by man. It was used for tools, weapons, art objects and ornaments • Oman was known in ancient times as Magan, which is the Sumerian word for copper
4 Properties of copper Excellent conductor of electricity Excellent thermal conductor Malleable and can be made into thin and intricate shapes Low level of Thermal expansion Easily Joined Alloys well with other metals, Tin (Bronze), Zinc (Brass) Resists corrosion
5 Copper demand Copper is widely used in modern society:
6 Copper uses An average car contains 22.5kg of Copper A typical house contains 200kg of copper, mainly in wiring and plumbing The 10, 20 and 50 euro cent coins are 89% copper A single large wind turbine contains 30,000kg of Copper An average air-conditioned contains 13kg of copper
7 Did you know: A surgeon’s scalpel is coated in copper to act as The Statue of Liberty is both a antibacterial agent made of more than 80 and conductor to allow tonnes of copper heating making the blade self-cauterizing Copper is the conductor Blue coloured fireworks of choice for protecting get the blue colour from buildings from lightening copper strikes Copper is vital for blood vessel formation, a Most printed circuit healthy heart, brain boards for electronic development, stabilising products are made using collagen, as well as for copper healthy bones and teeth
8 Copper occurrences Copper occurs in many places throughout the world and occurs in three major forms, native copper ore, copper oxide ore and copper sulphide ore. Native Copper Cu Copper Oxide Malachite Copper Sulphide Chalcopyrite
9 Low impact exploration: soil and stream sampling Copper ore is mined either via open pit or underground mining methods The ore is then transported to the copper processing plant to extract the copper from the ore
10 Copper processing Multiple Stages of processing are required to turn copper into a useable product: Copper Products
10 The future of copper • Copper’s superior electrical and thermal conductivity along with its ability to be 100% recycled without any loss in performance, are key for copper being the material of choice when it comes to building a more sustainable energy system • Growth in demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy will drive the need for new copper resources • Increased copper demand is likely to allow development of new technology to process lower margin deposits and drive efficiency improvements in recycling, that will ensure industrial use of copper remains sustainable long into the future
www.savannahresources.com For further information on Savannah’s corporate social responsibility programme, please email: community@savannahresources.com
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