Of all the metals that make up your smartphone, copper ranks second by weight, averaging 15 grams per device. That's more than 18 percent of your phone's total weight. As more computer chips and sophistication are added to our phones, the amount of copper in them will continue to grow as well.
Because of its incredible properties where electricity is concerned, copper has long been looked to for building and developing technology. Recently, copper has been replacing aluminum in computer chips, resulting in much faster operating speeds and greater circuit integration -- up to 200 million transistors can be packed onto a single chip.
Copper also means that your gadgets need less power, so your battery life lasts longer. Power requirements are now reduced to less than 1.8 volts, and the chips run cooler than ever before, increasing the effectiveness of the technology and the longevity of its components. The use of copper conductors in the chip is the last link in a now unbroken copper chain comprising the electronic data path between user and computer. From external cables and connectors to busways, printed circuit boards, sockets and lead frames -- it's all copper.
Copper also helps deliver the internet at faster and faster speeds. Not long ago, it was thought that only fiber optics could handle big bandwidths. This is not so. If you have DSL, you're getting your high-speed internet connection over a copper wire. These technologies are making it possible for telephone companies to capitalize on existing copper lines and for businesses to accommodate lower-cost communications and networking options -- without having to switch to high-cost fiber optics.
Not only can copper be used to send information, but it can also be used to prevent signals from traveling where they are not wanted. The National Security Agency buildings at Ft. Meade, Maryland, are sheathed with copper to prevent unauthorized snooping. Even the windows are fitted with copper screens. Copper blocks radio waves from penetrating into or escaping from spy operations. Copper sheathing is also used in hospitals to enclose rooms containing sensitive equipment like CAT scan, MRI and X-ray units to prevent problems related to the entrance or emission of errant electromagnetic radiation.
Copper and its principal architectural alloys are relatively active metals, which tend to oxidize (weather) when left unprotected. Long-term atmospheric exposure generally results in the formation of the naturally protective gray-green patina.
Because copper and its alloys afford a broad spectrum of both natural and weathered colors, much effort is expended to either hasten the natural weathering by chemical means or to preserve the bright natural colors through the application of clear protective coatings.
The natural weathering of copper to the characteristic blue-green or gray-green patina is a direct consequence of the mild corrosive attack of airborne sulfur compounds. As natural weathering proceeds, the metal exposed to the atmosphere changes in hue from the natural salmon-pink color through a series of russet-brown shades to light and dark chocolate browns and finally to the ultimate blue-green or gray-green patina.
During the initial weeks of exposure, particularly in a humid atmosphere or in areas of frequent rainfall, radical color changes often take place, but with continued exposure, these interference colors fade and are replaced by relatively uniform russet-brown shades referred to as statuary or oxidized finishes.
Due to varying fabricating procedures, some mills may coat coiled or flat sheet stock with a thin antistain oil film. This film may give rise to dark purple or black surface colorations soon after installation and exposure. This is a temporary color phase caused by the thin oil film, which is quickly washed off by rain, allowing the natural weathering of copper to proceed.
In industrial and coastal atmospheres, the natural patina generally forms in five to seven years. In rural atmospheres, where the quantity of airborne sulfur dioxide is relatively low, patina formation may not reach a dominant stage for 10-14 years. The critical variable, in all instances, is the dwell time of moisture on the exposed surfaces.
For more information, visit www.farmerscopper.com, or call (409) 765- 9003 or (210) 822-6707.
