Our Commodities

Copper

Just like gold and silver, copper is malleable. It can be bent and shaped without cracking, when either hot or cold. It can be rolled into sheets as thin as 1/500 of an inch. Copper also is ductile, that is, it can be drawn out into thin wire. A copper bar 4 inches thick can be heated, rolled, then drawn into a round wire so thin, that it is thinner than a human hair. This wire is 20 million times longer than the original bar. Copper is second only to silver in its ability to conduct electricity and it is an excellent conductor of heat, making it an important metal in cookware, refrigerators, and radiators. Furthermore, it is resistant to corrosion. Industry values copper for these properties.

Copper has numerous applications, but most significantly is used in the following industries on a large scale:

Electrical:

Copper is the best non precious metal conductor of electricity. It is used in power cables, for different voltage applications. Copper’s exceptional strength, ductility, and resistance to creeping and corrosion, makes it the preferred and safest conductor for building wiring.

Electronics and Communications:

The introduction of optical fibre in communication trunk lines has led to an increase in demand for copper. Furthermore, domestic subscriber lines, wide and local area networks, personal computers and other hardware all require copper and copper alloys.

Construction:

Copper and brass are the materials of choice for plumbing, taps, valves and fittings. The use of copper doorknobs and plates is also very common in buildings.

Transportation:

All major forms of transportation depend on copper to perform critical functions. Copper-nickel alloys are used on the hulls of boats and ships to improve fuel consumption. Copper’s superior thermal conductivity, strength, corrosion resistance, and recyclability make it ideal for automotive and truck radiators. Today’s average size automobile contains about 27.6 kilograms of copper and a Boeing 747-400 contains 4,000 kilograms.

Industrial Machinery and Equipment:

Due to copper’s durability, machinability, and ability to be cast with high precision and tolerances, copper alloys are ideal for making products such as gears, bearings, and turbine blades. Copper’s superior heat transfer capabilities and ability to withstand extreme environments makes it an ideal choice for heat exchange equipment, pressure vessels and vats.

The global demand for copper has been rising at an annual average rate of 3% per annum since the 1960s. A large contributing factor the rising rate of consumption of this metal is China’s massive urbanization rapid infrastructure development programme, including hosting the prestigious Olympics in 2008. China is now the largest single user of copper, well ahead of the United States, if not as large a consumer as the European Union. Just as Japanese companies had to compete actively with the established users for its copper supplies in the 1960s and early 1970s, so the newly industrialising countries have to compete today. That is especially true of the countries of the Pacific Rim, China and India, whose domestic availability of primary copper falls well short of their needs. As is shown below, Asia’s consumption is by far the most significant in the world today.