The blister copper produced is suitable for producing pipes,boilers and cooking utensils.It cannot be used to produce electrical wiring,which must be made of pure copper. For this purpose, blister copper must be cast into blocks and refined by electrolysis
Uses of copper
The most common use of copper is in the electrical industry. Due to the high electrical conductivity of copper,the metal is used in electrical wires,moter,electromagnets and printed circuit boards
Copper does not react with water. This property makes copper suitable for piping,domestic plumbing and roofing.
Copper is a good conductor og heat and does not corrode easily. It is used to make industrial machinery such as boilers and heat exchangers. It is also used to make crockery and cooking utensils
Copper is used in over 1000 different alloys. These alloys include
Brass (alloy of copper and zinc)
Bronze (alloy of copper and tin)
Nickel silver (alloy of copper,nickel and zinc)and
Phosphor bronze (alloy of copper, tin and phosphorus)
Copper alloys are used for coinage. American old-dollar coins, British one-pound coins and gold-coloured sections of euro coins are made from copper alloys
Gemstones
Gemstones are naturally occurring forms of minerals which are used in jewellery or ornaments. They are usually cut and polished before being used.
Gemstone formation
Nearly all gemstones are formed beneath the Earth's surface. They can be found all over the world,but the exact locations depend on the method of formation of the gemstones. In the following sections, we will look at where and how gemstones are formed.
Note : as you learn about gemstone formation, keep in mind that each type of gemstone can be formed in more than one way
Water near surface of the earth
Minerals in rocks can dissolve in water near the surface of the earth. When the physical conditions (e.g.temperature,amount of solvent) of the solution change, the minerals in the solution precipitate as gems. Many silica-based and copper-based minerals are formed in this way