Copper
Copper is one of the most sought after metals & Australia is the 5th leading producer in the world with only Chile, United States, Indonesia & Canada producing more, despite it only having six percent
Copper is a highly conductive metal that's found to be useful in many applications. Some of these being:
- Kitchen pot bases ( to evenly distribute heat from the stove to the pot or pan)
- Coins (usually as copper alloys)
- Copper roofing and guttering ( this is quite expensive and only used for this purpose in specific projects)
- Piping in your house (many of these pipes are being replaced with plactic but your hot water pipes remain copper).
- Electrical wiring in your house, car, speakers, chargers etc. as well as your fixed line telephone that connects your computer to a router to allow your WiFi to operate
- Heat transfer units in your fridge and air conditioner
- Copper sheets. Commonly used to protect wooden boats from barnacle damage
Put simply, copper is not just one of the world's most abundant metals, it also has many uses that has been essential to allow early technology to progress, as well as for further advancement into the future.
Copper is also quite poisonous if used in strong concentrations yet it's a necessary trace element that's essential for both plant and animal life to be able to exist. For these reasons copper is useful as a fungicide as well as a medicine.
Copper as an Alloy With Other Metals
Copper, these days, is primarily found through hard rock mining. It's become rare to find it in its more natural state as a soft malleable metal. Mining companies extract copper from crushed ore containing the metal, it's then separated and smelted. Much of the copper produced is used as an alloy, meaning it's mixed with other metals producing products such as:
- Bronze (an alloy of copper and tin)
- Brass (copper and zinc)
- Rose Gold (copper and gold)
- Gunmetal ( a form of bronze but includes an alloy of copper, zinc and tin that's used in gun making)
Copper is Fully Recyclable
Much like aluminium and iron, copper is 100 percent recyclable. This means it can be reused over and over without losing any of its properties. It's been estimated that over 80 percent of copper ever mined throughot the ages is still being used today, A recent report issued by the International Resource Panel entitled, 'Metal Stocks in Society,' stated the per capita stock of copper globally is between 35 and 55 kilograms. Most of this stock is in developed countries with 140 to 300 kilograms per capita as against the under-developed countries with between 30 and 40 kilograms per capita.
Recycling copper involves much the same process as that used by copper miners except that the mining steps are eliminated. Scrap copper is collected and melted down in a furnace much the same as the original ore was smelted in a smelter.
Most Copper is Still Used in Wiring
More than 60 percent of the copper manufactured today is still used as copper wiring. Plumbing uses for piping and roofing materials takes up 20 percent and a further 15 percent is used in industry for machinery. Uses in different alloys to increase it's hardness takes up the remaining five percent. Smaller amounts are used as nutrients in tablet form and in fungicides to control weeds in the agricultural industry.
Copper Deposits Widespread Throughout Australia
Copper mining is widespread throughout Australia with large mines operating in most states. Queensland and South Australia have the largest deposits but substantial mines also operate in New South Wales, Western Australia and the west coast of Tasmania.
Australian Mines that produce Bauxite
Gove (NT)
Up to 600 workers employed at the Gove bauxite refinery in the Northern Territory face an uncertain future as Pacific Aluminium suspends alumina production.
Ely (QLD)
The Ely Alcan Queensland Pty Ltd agreement at the Weipa bauxite mine is due to expire in 2041 but an option will give it a further 21 years extension.
Skardon River (QLD)
Gulf Alumina acquired 100 percent of the Skardon River tenement in 2011 from its koalin mining joint partner to develop the mining of bauxite at the site
Weipa (QLD)
The Weipa bauxite mine on the western side of the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland is both owned and operated by Rio Tinto Alcan.
Huntly (WA)
The Huntly mine in Western Australia is the largest bauxite mine in the world currently producing about 23 million tonnes of bauxite annually.
Willowdale (WA)
The Willowdale bauxite mine that commenced production in 1984 still processes 10 million tonnes of bauxite a year at the nearby Wagerup Refinery.
Worsley (WA)
The Worsley bauxite mine and alumina refinery in South West Western Australia employs more than 1,800 people and produces 4.6 million tonnes of alumina annually.
South Aurukun (QLD)
The South Aurukun bauxite tenements on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland are held by Gulf Alumina.
Marchinbar Island (NSW)
The Marchinbar Island bauxite deposit in far north Northern Territory could be mined to satisfy a growing demand from China in the near future.
Kwinana Refinery (WA)
The Kwinana refinery in WA employs around 1,000 direct employees with 60 percent living in the nearby towns of Rockingham, Cockburn and Kwinana.
Wagerup Refinery (WA)
The Alcoa owned Wagerup alumina refinery in W.A. has received governmental approval to lift alumina production from 2.6 to 2.65 million tonnes annually.
Pinjarra Alumina Refinery (WA)
The Pinjarra alumina refinery, near Mandurah south of Perth, is an important part of Alcoa's three refinery system in Western Australia.
Portland Aluminium Smelter (VIC)
The Portland Aluminium smelter in western Victoria, a joint venture operation between Alcoa, CITIC and Marubeni, caters solely to the Asian market.
Felicitas (WA)
The Felicitas bauxite project in Western Australia contains a bauxite resource of 220 million tonnes that will give it a life of mine of 25 years
South Of Embley (QLD)
Despite Rio Tinto placing its South of Embley bauxite project in Cape York, Queensland, on hold for 18 months it still considers it a 'good project.'
Bauxite Hills (QLD)
The Bauxite Hills Project on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland is hoping to take advantage of an expected increase in the demand for Alumina.
Bald Hill (TAS)
Australian Bauxite Limited's Bald Hill mine, in Tasmania, is to start production in December, 2014. It is the first new bauxite mine in Australia, for over 35 years.
Urquhart Point (QLD)
The Urquhart Point Heavy Mineral Sands Project in Cape York in Far North Queensland is expected to begin production in mid-2015.
Amrun (QLD)
The Amrun bauxite project in far north Queensland, that was previously known as the 'South of Embley' project has been approved for development and expected to be in production by 2019.
