Copper information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its High Purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
 Copper is a soft, reddish metal. Due to its high electrical conductivity, large amounts of copper are used by the electrical industry for wire. Of all pure metals, only silver has a higher electrical conductivity. Copper is also resistant to corrosion caused by moisture, making it a widely used material in pipes, coins, and jewelery. Copper is often too soft for its applications, so it is incorporated in numerous alloys. For example, brass is a copper-zinc alloy, and bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Copper sulfate (CuSO 4·H2O), also known as blue vitrol, is the most well-known copper compound. It is used as an agricultural poison, an algicide, and as a pigment for inks. Cuprous chloride (CuCl) is a powder used to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). Copper cyanide (CuCN) is often used in electroplating applications. Copper is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.9999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. The origin of the word copper comes from the Latin word 'cuprium' which translates as "metal of Cyprus". Cyprus, a Mediterranean island, was known as an ancient source of mined copper.
Copper facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
 Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Copper is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Copper is a Block D, Group 11, Period 4 element. The number of electrons in each of Copper's shells is 2, 8, 18, 1 and its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d10 4s1. In its elemental form copper's CAS number is 7440-50-8. The copper atom has a radius of 127.8 .pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 140.pm. Copper is an essential trace element in animals and plants, but in excess copper is toxic.
All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and  evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Copper compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Copper was first discovered by Early Man and is is found both as native copper and in minerals such as chalcopyrite, chalcocite, azurite, malachite, and cuprite..
 Cuivre |
 Kupfer |
 Rame |
 Cobre |
 Cobre |
 Koppar |
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of copper and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| Cu-63 |
62.929601 |
69.17 |
| Cu-65 |
64.927794 |
30.83 |
The following table shows the abundance of Copper present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
| |
Typical Human Body |
Universe |
| by Weight |
1000 ppb |
60 ppb |
| by Atom |
99 ppb |
1 ppb |
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for copper metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Copper compounds have an essential biological role in all life, and are a key components of redox enzymes and hemocyanin.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for copper (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
745.49 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
1957.93 kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
3554.64 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to copper's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 1.67 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.9. The thermal conductivity of copper is 401 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for copper are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
13 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
306.7 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
337.15b kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for CopperMenkes kinky hair syndrome: a rare neurodegenerative disease.
Gandhi R, Kakkar R, Rajan S, Bhangale R, Desai S.
Case Rep Radiol. 2012;2012:684309. Epub 2012 Aug 7.
PMID:
22919529
[PubMed]
Free Article
Copper-responsive gene regulation in bacteria.
Rademacher C, Masepohl B.
Microbiology. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22918892
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
"Click"-cyclized (68)ga-labeled peptides for molecular imaging and therapy: synthesis and preliminary in vitro and in vivo evaluation in a melanoma model system.
Martin ME, Sue O'Dorisio M, Leverich WM, Kloepping KC, Walsh SA, Schultz MK.
Recent Results Cancer Res. 2012;194:149-75.
PMID:
22918759
[PubMed - in process]
The coordination abilities of the multiHis-cyclopeptide with two metal-binding centers - potentiometric and spectroscopic investigation.
Kotynia A, Bielinska S, Kamysz W, Brasun J.
Dalton Trans. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22918544
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Chalcogenide clusters of copper and silver from silylated chalcogenide sources.
Fuhr O, Dehnen S, Fenske D.
Chem Soc Rev. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22918377
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Comparison of Metal Ion Release from Different Bracket Archwire Combinations: An in vitro Study.
Karnam SK, Reddy AN, Manjith C.
J Contemp Dent Pract. 2012 May 1;13(3):376-81.
PMID:
22918013
[PubMed - in process]
Effect of Fluoride Prophylactic Agents on the Surface Topography of NiTi and CuNiTi Wires.
Mane PP, Pawar R, Ganiger C, Phaphe S.
J Contemp Dent Pract. 2012 May 1;13(3):285-8.
PMID:
22917997
[PubMed - in process]
Post-assembly Functionalization of Organoplatinum(II) Metallacycles via Copper-free Click Chemistry.
Chakrabarty R, Stang PJ.
J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22917086
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Se-Adenosyl-L-selenomethionine Cofactor Analogue as a Reporter of Protein Methylation.
Bothwell IR, Islam K, Chen Y, Zheng W, Blum G, Deng H, Luo M.
J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22917021
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Nanostructures formed by displacement of porous silicon with copper: from nanoparticles to porous membranes.
Bandarenka H, Redko S, Smirnov A, Panarin A, Terekhov S, Nenzi P, Balucani M, Bondarenko V.
Nanoscale Res Lett. 2012 Aug 23;7(1):477. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22916840
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free Article
Comparison of Adsorption Probabilities of O(2) and CO on Copper Cluster Cations and Anions.
Hirabayashi S, Ichihashi M, Kawazoe Y, Kondow T.
J Phys Chem A. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22916678
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Copper oxide nanoparticles induce autophagic cell death in a549 cells.
Sun T, Yan Y, Zhao Y, Guo F, Jiang C.
PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e43442. Epub 2012 Aug 20.
PMID:
22916263
[PubMed - in process]
Free PMC Article
The Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) Secreted Protein, MopE*, Binds Both Reduced and Oxidized Copper.
Ve T, Mathisen K, Helland R, Karlsen OA, Fjellbirkeland A, Røhr AK, Andersson KK, Pedersen RB, Lillehaug JR, Jensen HB.
PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e43146. Epub 2012 Aug 20.
PMID:
22916218
[PubMed - in process]
Free PMC Article
Dynamic PET and Optical Imaging and Compartment Modeling using a Dual-labeled Cyclic RGD Peptide Probe.
Zhu L, Guo N, Li Q, Ma Y, Jacboson O, Lee S, Choi HS, Mansfield JR, Niu G, Chen X.
Theranostics. 2012;2(8):746-56. Epub 2012 Aug 6.
PMID:
22916074
[PubMed - in process]
Free PMC Article
Interaction of Brassinosteroids and Polyamines Enhances Copper Stress Tolerance in Raphanus Sativus.
Choudhary SP, Volkan Oral H, Bhardwaj R, Yu JQ, Phan Tran LS.
J Exp Bot. 2012 Aug 21. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22915739
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Construction of Fullerocyclobutene Derivatives through Copper(I)-Mediated Radical Annulation of C(60) Cl(6) with Aryl Acetylenes.
Wang S, Yan P, Huang HY, Zhan ZP, Xie SY, Huang RB, Zheng LS.
Chem Asian J. 2012 Aug 22. doi: 10.1002/asia.201200494. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22915349
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Biosorption of aluminum, cobalt and copper ions by Providencia rettgeri isolated from wastewater.
Abo-Amer AE, Ramadan AB, Abo-State M, Abu-Ghabia MA, Ahmed HE.
J Basic Microbiol. 2012 Aug 23. doi: 10.1002/jobm.201100635. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22915136
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Development of copper based drugs, radiopharmaceuticals and medical materials.
Szymanski P, Fraczek T, Markowicz M, Mikiciuk-Olasik E.
Biometals. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22914969
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Mechanistic Basis for Overcoming Platinum Resistance Using Copper Chelating Agents.
Liang ZD, Long Y, Tsai WB, Fu S, Kurzrock R, Gagea-Iurascu M, Zhang F, Chen HH, Hennessy BT, Mills GB, Savaraj N, Kuo MT.
Mol Cancer Ther. 2012 Aug 21. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22914438
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Investigation of metal-polyelectrolyte complex toxicity.
Karahan M, Mustafaeva Z, Cakikoç R, Bagirova M, Allahverdiyev AM.
Toxicol Ind Health. 2012 Aug 22. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22914259
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher] |
