Can you imagine how much metal and mineral we consume every day? According to data, the United States has consumed 1.6 million metric tons of unmanufactured copper and around 1.7 million metric tons of refined copper in 2020. Globally, the consumption of copper is increasing as it is widely used for electronic, construction, and manufacturing purposes. The copper may become scarce if it’s not consumed efficiently and sustainably.

Innovation Of Copper

Innovation has become a crucial step as it makes numerous processes associated with copper cost-efficient. Also, it might reduce environmental impact and energy consumption. Whatever resource we’ve obtained from copper is due to its highly desirable properties and characteristics. Not only copper, but copper alloys with distinctive and improved characteristics are also widely consumed by different sectors. One of the great advantages of copper is that it is recyclable. Without any loss of performance or efficiency, the metal can be recycled for application.

What Qualities Make Copper So Useful?

Copper comes with multiple useful properties that have made it a suitable and reliant element for distinctive purposes. This metal is hygienic, recyclable, non-metallic, tough, and catalytic. Most of the copper we use today is due to its good corrosion resistance, electrical and thermal properties. The use of copper by the US industry sector in 2019 was estimated as given as follows:

• Building construction – 43%
• Electrical and electronics – 20%
• Transportation equipment – 20%
• Consumer products – 10%
• Machinery – 7%

Copper Production In Canada

The commercial production of copper in Canada began in 1846 at Bruce mine. Later on, other mines were explored and developed for exploitation. British Columbia and Ontario are the two provinces that majorly contributed to copper production. The output produced from mines present in Ontario is processed locally, while the output from British Columbia is transported to Far East Asia for smelting and refining purposes.

Copper Mining Companies

There are many companies like Solaris Resources Inc and Codelco which are successfully involved in copper mining at a large scale. Solaris Resources is advancing a portfolio of copper and gold assets in the Americas, which includes: a high-grade resource with expansion and additional discovery potential at the Warintza copper and gold project in Ecuador.

Red Chris Mine

This mine is owned and operated by Red Chris Development Company (RCDC), located in British Columbia. In 2020, its production was estimated at 40.07 thousand tons of copper. The mine will operate till 2043.

Mount Milligan Mine

Mount Milligan mine is a surface mine owned by Centerra Gold and located in British Columbia. This mine is the producer of gold as well. It produced 37.56 thousand tons of copper in 2020. The mine’s life is nine years as of Jan 2020.

Conclusion

Copper is widely used for electrical equipment such as wires and motors because of its conductivity. This metal is not limited here; it is extensively consumed due to its high ductility, malleability, and corrosion resistance. After iron and aluminum, copper occupies the third position in the list of largely consumed metals in terms of quantity in the USA.