What is Copper?

Copper is reddish-brown, shiny and is one of the best-known pure metals. The use of this metal dates back to the Bronze Age (3300 BC to 1200BC) when humans initiated to work with metals. The Bronze age was the end of the Stone age period that was dominated by the use of stone tools and weaponry. Archaeologists have found evidence of this metal mining from the 6th millennium BC in Egypt. Since then, the metal has continued to be used in different cultures worldwide for thousands of years.

What makes Copper such a widely used metal?

It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Combining physical properties such as strength, conductivity, corrosion resistance, machinability, and ductility makes this metal suitable for a wide range of applications. These properties can be modified with composition and manufacturing methods.

Where is it used?

This metal is used in batteries, electric vehicles, jewelry, household appliances, electronic equipment such as motors and wirings, construction, roofing and plumbing, agriculture, medicine and many more. Investing has skyrocketed in the past few years due to its growing demand for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

What makes it an ideal metal?

There are two common oxidation states, each with its own set of properties. One way to tell them apart is by the colour of the emission spectrum when the ion is heated in a flame. Copper (I) turns a flame blue, while copper (II) produces a green flame. Oxidation slows down the corrosion process making the metal stand up to weathering. It also allows the metal to be much more flexible, pliable and better conductor.

Did you know that Copper used in Electric vehicles = 2x Copper used in engine vehicles?

It is 100 percent recyclable metal. It’s an abundant metal in Earth’s crust, present at concentrations of 50 parts per million. Its abundance is 2.5 x 10-4 mg/L in seawater. The Earth’s copper was formed in exploding white dwarfs and massive stars before the solar system formed.

Investing in Copper

The recovery of the economies around the world after a pandemic has lead prices of Copper to rise by 20% year to date. The recent changes in the infrastructure plan by Biden and the growing appetite for electric vehicles may benefit this base metal in multiple ways.

Investors should conduct thorough research as different fundamental drivers can affect the pricing of the commodities and the metals involved with them. One of the easiest ways to invest in this metal is through investing in Junior Mining Companies that are involved in the exploration of Copper. Zimtu’s holdings: Emerita Resources (TSX-V: EMO), Core Assets (TSX-V: CC) and Nobel 29 (TSX-V: NBLC) features Copper in their commodity profiles. 

With the growing trend of sustainability, mining has become one of the favourite industries for investors to invest in. Get to know the answer for what’s in this investment for you with our blog about Why is Copper a Good Investment?

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Happy Investing!