Besides conductivity, what are other important properties of copper?

Copper sets the standard for electrical conductivity but that's not the end of the story. Cf the attached data sheet, copper also has desirable thermal, mechanical, electrochemical and alloying properties, which explain its many application areas as a base metal.

Metals that have good electrical conductivity also have high thermal conductivity. So copper is also a material of choice for highly efficient, compact heat exchangers for use in refrigerators, heat pumps, air conditioning equipment, solar thermal panels, district heating systems or industrial applications.

Good mechanical properties such as creep and fatigue resistance make copper perform in electrical contacts. These properties ensure the ability to make reliable and safe fixed contacts in electrical systems that last decades. For non-fixed contacts, copper is often alloyed to improve strength.

Mechanical properties also influence copper's malleability. Copper can be drawn into wires as tiny as 50 microns (half the diameter of a human hair). Thin copper wires can be stranded into flexible cables which are easily installed with a low bending radius. Malleable copper also enables the production of musical instruments, works of art, furniture frames and a huge number of other products.

Copper has electrochemical properties that yield a further set of advantages. Copper is corrosion-resistant and can therefore be used for several hundred years in outdoor applications without corroding. It is also used for this property in marine applications, in demanding chemical environments, for high-integrity earthing systems or for bare overhead conductors in coastal regions. In the future, these properties may be further exploited in energy storage applications, advanced metallurgical processing or catalytic applications.

Finally, copper can be easily alloyed. About 20% of copper is used in its alloyed form through over 400 alloys to improve strength, corrosion resistance, micro-alloys for high strength and conductivity, wear resistance, machinability or heat resistance.

References

[1] Data-sheet - copper properties - https://help.copper.fyi/hc/en-us/article_attachments/5928673006994/Data_sheet_-_copper_properties.docx 

[2] Copper is ... - https://help.leonardo-energy.org/hc/en-us/articles/4801948918034 

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Last update: June 17, 2024