Classification, Distribution and Uses of Ores and Ore Deposits - Metals and Society: An Introduction to Economic Geology - page 23

Common uses of copper are given in the following table. Its high electrical
and thermal conductivity, its resistance to corrosion and its attractive colour lead
to a vast range of applications. It is used as wire to conduct electricity in
electrical appliances of all types and in alloys with zinc (brass) or other metals
in utensils and coins. The development of new types of alloys has led to new
uses in superconductors and batteries; and copper compounds are used in a wide
variety of products such as pesticides (copper sulfate pentahydrate controls
fungus on grapes and algae in swimming pools) and in antibiotics (Table 2.3 ).

Table 2.3 Uses of copper
(Source: Standard CIB Global Research www.standardbank.co.za )
Electricity, electronics

(continued)

42%

Construction 28%

Transport 12%

Industrial machinery 9%

Other (coins, medicines, fungicides) 9%

In developed countries, the per capita consumption of copper has remained
near constant of the past decades. The new uses of the metal generally require
only relatively small quantities and these additions have been countered to
some extent by the abandonment of some large-scale industrial applications
and by increased recycling. However, increasing demand from developing
countries will require that global production be increased significantly; this
production can only be met by the discovery of new deposits and the efficient
exploitation of these deposits. In addition, with the increasing use of elec-
tronics in cars and household or industrial devices, per-capita use of copper in
wiring and circuits, in both developed and developing countries, is expected
to increase.