The再生resource industry differs from other traditional industries, as it must balance economic, environmental, and social benefits in achieving profitability. It is a comprehensive系统工程 integrating economics, technology, and social management. We should draw on advanced experiences from developed countries to formulate policies and measures that encourage technological innovation and investment in construction. Complement this with rigorous and scientific social management methods, making the recycling and reuse of resources a conscious action for enterprises, agencies, groups, and all citizens. Together, let's create a beautiful world of economic prosperity, a pleasant environment, and harmonious coexistence between humans and resources!
1. Copper: Refers to pure copper, mainly including oxygen-free copper, purple copper, phosphorus deoxidized copper, and silver copper.
2. Brass: Refers to alloys based on copper and zinc, which can be further divided into simple brass and complex brass. Complex brass includes alloys named after the third component, such as nickel brass, silicon brass, and so on.
3. Bronze: Refers to copper-based alloys other than copper-nickel, copper-zinc alloys, mainly including tin bronze, aluminum bronze, and special bronze (also known as high copper alloys).
4. Beryllium Copper: Refers to copper-nickel alloy.
1. Power Transmission: A large amount of highly conductive copper is consumed in power transmission, mainly used for power cables, busbars, transformers, switches, connector components, and connectors, etc.
2. Electric Motor Manufacturing: High conductivity and strength copper alloys are extensively used in electric motor manufacturing. The main copper components include stators, rotors, and shaft heads.
3. Communication Cables: Since the 1980s, due to the advantages of fiber optic cables such as high current carrying capacity, they have continuously replaced copper cables in communication trunk lines and have been rapidly promoted and applied. However, converting electrical energy into light energy and the lines that deliver to customers still require a large amount of copper. With the development of the communication industry, people's dependence on communication is increasing, and the demand for both fiber optic cables and copper wires will continue to rise.
4. Residential electrical wiring
5. Electron Vacuum Devices: Electron vacuum devices primarily include high-frequency and ultra-high-frequency tubes, waveguides, magnetrons, etc., which require high-purity oxygen-free copper and diffused-strengthened oxygen-free copper.
6. Printed Circuit Boards: Copper printed circuit boards involve using copper foil as the surface, which is粘贴 onto a plastic board serving as the support. The circuit layout is then printed onto the copper foil using photographic methods. Excess material is removed through etching, leaving interconnected circuits. Holes are punched in the printed circuit board at points for external connections, and the terminals of discrete components or other parts are inserted and soldered into these holes, completing the assembly of the entire circuit.
7. Integrated Circuit
8. Wireframe: Copper alloy is cost-effective, featuring high strength, conductivity, and thermal conductivity, excellent processing properties, solderability, and corrosion resistance. Through alloying, its properties can be controlled over a wide range, making it a suitable material for wireframes and an important component in this field. It is currently one of the most widely used materials for copper in microelectronic devices.
9. Energy Industry: The utilization of solar energy also requires a significant amount of copper piping. For instance, a hotel pool near London, UK, equipped with a solar heater, can maintain water temperatures between 18-24°C during summer. This solar heater contains 784 pounds (3,56 kg) of copper piping.
10. Petrochemical Industry: Copper and many copper alloys exhibit excellent corrosion resistance in solutions, non-oxidizing acids (such as acetic acid, citric acid, fatty acids, lactic acid, oxalic acid, etc.), various alkalis excluding ammonia, and non-oxidizing organic compounds (such as oils, phenols, alcohols, etc.). Therefore, they are extensively used in the petrochemical industry for manufacturing various devices like containers, pipeline systems, filters, pumps, and valves that come into contact with corrosive media. Their thermal conductivity is also utilized to produce evaporators, heat exchangers, and condensers. Due to copper's good plasticity, it is particularly suitable for manufacturing complexly structured heat exchangers with intricate copper tube weaving, commonly found in modern chemical industries. Additionally, bronze is used to produce tools in oil refining factories, as it does not spark upon impact, thus preventing fires.
11. Ocean Industry: With the ocean covering over 70% of the Earth's surface, the rational development and utilization of marine resources are increasingly valued. Seawater contains chloride ions that easily cause corrosion, making many engineering metals like steel, aluminum, and even stainless steel susceptible to seawater corrosion. Additionally, marine organisms can foul the surfaces of these materials, as well as non-metals like wood and glass. Copper, however, stands out as it is not only resistant to seawater corrosion but also, when dissolved in water, its copper ions have bactericidal properties, preventing marine organism fouling. Therefore, copper and its alloys are crucial materials in the ocean industry, widely used in desalination plants, offshore oil and gas platforms, and other coastal and underwater facilities. This includes pipeline systems, pumps, and valves used in desalination processes, as well as equipment on oil and gas platforms, such as bolts and drilling tools for splash zones and underwater use, anti-fouling covers, pump valves, and pipeline systems. The application of copper and copper alloys in ships will be discussed in the following section.
12. Vessels: Due to their excellent resistance to sea water corrosion, many copper alloys, such as aluminum bronze, manganese bronze, aluminum brass, gun metal (tin-zinc bronze), white copper, and nickel copper alloys (Monel alloys), have become standard materials for shipbuilding. Generally, copper and copper alloys account for 2~3% of the self-weight of merchant ships. Most large merchant ships' propellers are made of aluminum bronze or brass. The propeller of a large ship can weigh between 20~25 tons. The propellers of the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary weigh up to 35 tons each.
13. Automotive: Copper usage for vehicles ranges from 10 to 21 kilograms per car, varying with the type and size, accounting for approximately 6% to 9% of the car's weight for compact cars. Copper and copper alloys are primarily used in radiators, brake system piping, hydraulic devices, gears, bearings, brake friction pads, distribution and power systems, washers, as well as various connectors, accessories, and trimmings. The radiator is the component that uses the most copper. Modern tube band radiators are made by welding brass strips into radiator tubes and bending thin copper strips into fins.
14. Railways: The electrification of railways requires a significant amount of copper and copper alloys. Over 2 tons of special-shaped copper wire are needed per kilometer of overhead conductor. To enhance its strength, a small amount of copper (about 1%) or silver (about of%) is often added. Additionally, the motors, rectifiers, and control, braking, electrical, and signaling systems on trains all rely on copper and copper alloys to function.
15. Aircraft: The flight of airplanes also cannot do without copper. For example, copper materials are required for wiring, hydraulic, cooling, and pneumatic systems in airplanes. Aluminum bronze tubing is used for bearing retainers and undercarriage bearings, navigation instruments are made with antimagnetic copper alloys, and many instruments utilize copper elastic elements, etc.
16. Mechanical Engineering: Copper components can be found in nearly all types of machinery. Besides the extensive use of copper in motors, circuits, hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, and control systems, there is also a vast array of transmission and fastening parts made from brass and bronze, such as gears, worm gears, worm shafts, connectors, fasteners, twisted parts, screws, and nuts, which are widely used.
17. Metallurgical Equipment: The metallurgical industry is a major consumer of electrical power, often referred to as "power-intensive." In the construction of metallurgical plants, it is typically necessary to have a large-scale transmission and distribution system, as well as power operation equipment, that rely on copper. In fire metallurgy, continuous casting technology has taken a leading position, with the key component, the crystallizer, mostly made of high-strength and high thermal conductivity copper alloys like chrome copper and silver copper. In electro-metallurgy, vacuum arc furnaces and electroslag furnace water-cooled crucibles are manufactured using copper tubing. Various induction heating coils are wound from copper tubes or shaped copper tubes, with water cooling inside.
18. Alloy Additives: Copper is an important additive element in alloys such as steel and aluminum. The addition of a small amount of copper (0.2~0.5%) to low-alloy structural steel can enhance its strength and resistance to atmospheric and marine corrosion. Adding copper to corrosion-resistant cast iron and stainless steel further improves their corrosion resistance. High-nickel alloys containing about 30% copper, known as "Monel," are highly corrosion-resistant and are widely used in the nuclear industry.
19. Air Conditioners and Refrigeration Units: The temperature control function of air conditioners and refrigeration units is primarily achieved through the evaporation and condensation of copper tubes in the heat exchanger. The size and thermal conductivity of the heat exchange tubes greatly determine the overall efficiency and miniaturization of the air conditioning and refrigeration systems. High thermal conductivity copper tubes of non-standard shapes are used in these machines. By utilizing the excellent machinability of copper, recently developed and produced heat exchange tubes with internal grooves and high fins have been created. These are used in the manufacturing of heat exchangers for air conditioners, refrigeration units, chemical processing, and waste heat recovery systems. This results in a total thermal conductivity coefficient of the new heat exchangers up to 2-3 times that of standard tubes and 1.2-1.3 times that of standard low-fin tubes. They are currently in use domestically, saving 40% of copper and reducing the volume of the heat exchangers by over 1/3.
20. Watches: The watches, timers, and devices with watch mechanisms currently produced are mostly made from "watch brass." The alloy contains 1.5-2% lead, offering good workability suitable for mass production.
21. Pulp and Paper: In today's rapidly changing information society, there is a high demand for paper consumption. While paper may appear simple on the surface, the papermaking process is actually quite complex, involving numerous steps and a variety of machines such as coolers, evaporators, pulpers, and paper machines. Many of the components, such as various heat exchangers, roller wheels, striking rods, semi-liquid pumps, and wire meshes, are predominantly made of steel alloys.
Printing: Photographic plating is used in printing with copper plates. After the polished copper plates are sensitized with light-sensitive lacquer, an image is formed on them through photography. The sensitized copper plates must be heated to harden the lacquer. To prevent softening from heat, a small amount of silver or arsenic is often added to the copper to increase the softening temperature. Then, the plate is etched to form a printing surface with a pattern of raised and recessed dots. On an automatic typesetter, the plate is made by arranging copper type blocks, which is another important use of copper in printing. The type blocks are typically made of leaded brass, and sometimes copper or bronze.
23. Brewing: Copper plays a crucial role in the world's beer brewing process. Copper is commonly used for the interiors of the malt and fermentation vats. Some breweries have more than a dozen large vats, exceeding 20,000 gallons in capacity. In fermentation vats, water cooling through steel pipes is often used to lower the temperature. Steel pipes are also used to heat the wort with steam during the brewing process and to transport the liquid. For distilling whiskey and other spirits, steel distillation pots are typically employed. Whiskey malt must be distilled twice, requiring two large copper distillation pots.
24. Industrial: Pure copper is used for various steam, boiling, and vacuum equipment. Copper alloys are also commonly used for eyeglass frames, etc.
25. Pipeline Systems: Copper piping offers numerous advantages such as aesthetic appeal, durability, ease of installation, safety, fire resistance, and hygiene, making it significantly more cost-effective compared to galvanized steel pipes and plastic pipes.
26. Home Renovation: The use of steel for roofs and eaves in Europe has a long-standing tradition, and in Northern European countries, it's even used for wall decorations. Copper is highly resistant to atmospheric corrosion, durable, recyclable, and has excellent workability for forming complex shapes, plus it boasts attractive colors; thus, it's particularly suitable for home renovation. Its application on the roofs of ancient buildings like churches has a long history, still shining brightly today; and its use in modern large-scale buildings, even apartments and residential complexes, is increasingly common. For instance, in London, the "Commonwealth Building," a symbol of modern British architectural art, has a complex steel roof weighing approximately 25 tons; the Crystal Palace sports center, opened in 1966, features a wave-shaped roof made of 60 tons of steel, etc. Statistics show that in Germany, the average annual consumption of copper sheets for roofing is 0.8 kg per person, while in the United States, it's 0.2 kg. Moreover, interior decorations such as door handles, locks, blinds, handrails, lighting fixtures, wall decorations, and kitchenware, all made of steel, are not only durable and hygienic but also add an elegant touch, making them highly favored by people.
27. Statues and Craftworks: No metal in the world is as widely used in the production of various craftworks as steel, which has been enduringly popular from ancient times to the present. In today's urban construction, various memorials, bells, cauldrons, sculptures, Buddha statues, replicas, and more, are extensively made with cast copper alloys. Modern musical instruments, such as flutes made from white steel and saxophones made from brass, also require various copper alloys. Exquisite, affordable gold-plated and imitation gold, silver jewelry also necessitate a range of copper alloys.
28. Currency: Since the ancestors of humanity first used coins, copper and its alloys have been used for their production, passed down through the ages. With the development of modern coin-operated activities such as telephones, public transportation, and shopping, the demand for coinage steel has only increased. In the application of copper coins, aside from size variations, it is convenient to use different alloy compositions and alter alloy colors to create and differentiate between different denominations. Common types include the "silver" coin containing 25% nickel, the brass coin with 20% zinc and 1% tin, and the "copper" coin containing a small amount of tin (3%) and zinc (1.5%). Worldwide, the production of copper coins consumes thousands of tons of copper annually. Just the Royal Mint in London produces 700 million copper coins each year, requiring approximately 7,000 tons of metal.
29. Chinese Computers: Information technology is the vanguard of high-tech. It relies on the crystallization of modern human wisdom—the computer tool—to process and handle the ever-changing, vast amount of information. The heart of the computer consists of microprocessors (including the arithmetic and control units) and memory. These basic components (hardware) are large-scale integrated circuits, which are composed of millions of interconnected transistors, resistors, capacitors, and other elements on a tiny chip, enabling rapid numerical calculations, logical operations, and massive information storage. These integrated circuit chips must be assembled with lead frames and printed circuit boards to function. As seen in the previous chapter "Applications in the Electronics Industry," copper and copper alloys are not only important materials in lead frames, solders, and printed circuit boards; they also play a crucial role in the interconnection of the tiny components in integrated circuits.
30. Superconductivity and Low Temperature: Generally, the resistance of materials (except for semiconductors) decreases with decreasing temperature. When the temperature drops significantly, the resistance of certain materials can completely vanish, a phenomenon known as superconductivity. The temperature at which superconductivity occurs is called the material's superconducting critical temperature. The discovery of superconductivity has opened up a new horizon for the utilization of electricity. Since resistance is zero, a very small voltage can produce an extremely large (theoretically infinite) current, generating immense magnetic fields and forces; or, when current flows through it, there is no voltage drop and no loss of electrical energy. Clearly, its practical applications are expected to bring about significant changes in human production and life, and are of great interest to people.
31. Applications in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry: Steel compounds are effective bactericidal pesticides for eliminating pests and diseases, controlling all diseases caused by molds or fungi. In addition to directly treating seeds with copper dips, copper salt solutions are commonly used in orchards and farmlands. Notable examples include Bordeaux mixture (limed copper solution), named after the French vineyards, and Buggundy mixture (soda copper solution), as well as other products like Junsaiti.
32. High Energy Physics: Unveiling the mysteries of the structure of matter is a major fundamental scientific issue that scientists are constantly pursuing. Each step deeper in understanding this issue brings significant impacts to humanity. The current utilization of atomic energy is just one example. Modern physics research has already discovered that the smallest constituent units of matter are not molecules and atoms, but quarks and leptons, which are billions of times smaller. Now, the study of these fundamental particles often requires reactions with energy hundreds of times higher than nuclear reactions, known as high-energy physics. This high energy is obtained either through the "collisions" of charged particles accelerated over long distances in a strong magnetic field towards a fixed target (high-energy collisions) or through the head-on collisions of two opposing streams of accelerated particles (colliders). To achieve this, it is necessary to construct long-distance channels of strong magnetic fields using steel as the winding material. Moreover, similar structures are also required in controlled thermonuclear reactors. To reduce the temperature rise due to the heating caused by high currents, these magnetic channels are wound from hollow, non-standard copper rods to allow for medium circulation for cooling.
How is the economic benefit of recycling and utilizing renewable resources? In recent years, to encourage people to recycle resources, the country has successively introduced and implemented a series of policies. Simultaneously, with the continuous advancement in the battle against pollution prevention and control and the increasing intensity of environmental supervision, the total amount and value of renewable resources recycling in our country have shown rapid growth. According to incomplete statistics, nearly 100 million tons of renewable resources are recyclable each year in our country, valued at over 2 trillion yuan, including over 40 million tons of scrap steel, over 30 million tons of scrap paper, over 5 million tons of scrap non-ferrous metals, 6 million tons of scrap plastic, over 50 million scrap tires, and over 10 million tons of other scrap materials. In addition, over the past few years, our country has also imported over 20 million tons of various renewable resources annually. If we add the scrap materials collected and used by industrial and mining enterprises, the value of renewable resources recycling and utilization in our country each year can reach over 4 trillion yuan.
