Copper is a relatively soft, easily malleable heavy metal. At the same time, it is very tough. After extraction, it is light red and darkens in the air until it has a brown colour. Over time, it develops a light to dark green patina in the air, depending on the weather. This provides additional protection for the material.
In human history, copper was one of the first known metals, along with gold, silver and tin. Due to its good workability, copper was already used by the oldest cultures about 10,000 years ago.
In nature, copper is rarely found in basaltic lavas as a native element in the form of nuggets (solidified from the melt) or dendrites (branched structures).
Copper ores are more common. The material can be extracted from chalcopyrite (chalcopyrite, CuFeS2), chalcopyrite (chalcocite, Cu2S), bornite (Cu5FeS4), atacamite (CuCl2•Cu(OH)2), malachite and other ores.
Chile, the USA, Russia, Zambia, Canada and Peru are home to the largest copper deposits on the planet.
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