TABLE OF CONTENTS Copper and copper alloys are also among the most important and most used metallic materials. Almost all electrical components and electrical products contain parts made of copper or one or more of its important alloys. All the electrical industries worldwide depend on copper and copper alloys. Many new copper alloys have been developed over the past 30 or 40 years, with beryllium-copper alloys as one of the preferred materials in many electrical applications as a replacement for the phosphor bronzes. The phosphor, silicon, and manganese bronzes have many applications where strength and current-carrying ability, combined with corrosion resistance and nonmagnetic properties, are desired. Springs with a high fatigue-endurance limit and good electrical properties are made from the beryllium-copper alloys.
One of the most important uses for copper is in the electrical power distribution industries, where ETP no. 110 copper bus conductors are used to carry the electrical power for all electrical applications. The power distribution industries use such equipment as transformers, power stations, power transmission lines, and electrical switch gear and control equipment. The electric motor industries are another large user of copper products.
Copper is one of the most important elements, with a specific gravity of 8.96 g/cm 3 and weight of 0.324 lb/in 3. It is the second-best conductor of electric current, exceeded only by silver. The copper metal is smelted from oxide, sulfide, and carbonate compounds that are found in their natural states as cuprite, malachite, azurite, and bornite. The...
