For thousands of years, copper has been so widespread that most people encounter it without even noticing. Ancient Egyptians used copper to disinfect wounds and surgical tools, and the earliest copper alloy weaponry dates back to the mid-5th millennium B.C. From building tools to biology, copper is an essential part of human life. We even need 1.2 milligrams of copper daily to help enzymes transfer energy inside our cells.
Copper is the third most commonly mined metal in the world. Common uses for copper include alloys in jewellery, touch surfaces in medicine, and construction.
Medical uses for copper
As the Egyptians documented, copper is known to kill many germs on contact. Dr. Bill Keevil at the University of Southampton found that MRSA (an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacterial staph) cannot survive on copper surfaces the way it can on the platinum metals often used in hospital building railings, doorknobs, and beds. With the help of his research, hospitals are installing copper touch surfaces around the world to halt the spread of bacterial infections in hospital settings.
GOLD;
The metal is also used for coinage, and has been used as standard for monetary systems in some countries. Gold can be beaten into very thin sheets (gold leaf) to be used in art, for decoration and as architectural ornament. Electroplating can be used to cover another metal with a very thin layer of gold.
NICKEL;
The most crucial use of this element is that it is used to make coins. It is used in making wires. It is used in gas turbines and rocket engines as it has the capability to resist corrosion even at high temperature. It is used to make a variety of alloys which are further used to make armour plating, nails, or pipes.
