Everyone is likely very familiar with copper; it is a common metal substance in daily life. Copper is also widely used in our lives. Today, I'll introduce the various applications of copper in the light industry!

Air conditioners and freezers

The temperature control function of air conditioners and refrigeration machines is mainly achieved through the evaporation and condensation of the copper tubes in the heat exchanger. The size and heat transfer performance of the heat transfer tubes largely determine the efficiency and miniaturization of the entire air conditioning and refrigeration device. These machines all use specially shaped copper tubes with high thermal conductivity. Taking advantage of steel's good processing performance, recently developed and produced heat dissipation tubes with internal grooves and high fins are used to manufacture heat exchangers in air conditioners, refrigeration machines, chemical equipment, and waste heat recovery devices. These can increase the overall heat transfer coefficient of new heat exchangers by 2 to 3 times compared to ordinary tubes, and by 1.2 to 1.3 times compared to ordinary low-fin tubes. They are already in use domestically, saving 40% of copper and reducing the volume of the heat exchanger by more than one-third.

Clocks

Currently produced clocks, timers, and devices with clock mechanisms mostly have their working parts made of 'clock brass.' The alloy contains 1.5–2% lead, has good machinability, and is suitable for mass production. For example, gears are cut from long extruded brass rods, flat wheels are punched from strips of corresponding thickness, and clock faces with engravings, as well as screws and joints, are made from brass or other copper alloys. Many inexpensive watches are made from gunmetal (tin-zinc bronze) or plated with nickel silver (white copper). Some famous large clocks are made from steel and copper alloys. The hour hand of the British 'Big Ben' is made of a solid gunmetal rod, and the minute hand is made of a 14-foot-long copper tube.

A modern watch factory, using copper alloy as the main material, processes with a press and precise molds, and can produce 10,000 to 30,000 watches per day at a very low cost.

Paper making

In today's rapidly changing information society, the consumption of paper is very high. The surface of paper may seem simple, but the papermaking process is very complex, requiring many steps and the use of numerous machines, including coolers, evaporators, pulpers, paper machines, and so on. Many of these components, such as various heat exchange tubes, rollers, beaters, semi-liquid pumps, and screens, are mostly made of steel alloys.

For example, the Fourdrinier papermaking machine currently in use sprays the prepared pulp onto a fast-moving wire cloth with fine mesh (40–60 mesh). The wire cloth is woven from brass and phosphor bronze wires, and its width is quite large, generally over 20 feet (6 meters), and it must remain completely flat. The wire cloth moves over a series of small brass or copper rollers, and as the pulp attached to it passes through, moisture is suctioned away from below. The wire also vibrates to bond the small fibers in the pulp together. The wire of large papermaking machines can be very large, reaching widths of 26 feet 8 inches (8.1 meters) and lengths of 100 feet (30.5 meters). Wet pulp contains not only water but also chemicals used in the papermaking process, which are highly corrosive. To ensure paper quality, the wire material has strict requirements: it must have high strength and elasticity, and also be resistant to pulp corrosion, which copper alloys can fully meet.

Printing

Photographic plate-making in printing is done using copper plates. The polished surface copper plate is sensitized with photosensitive gelatin and then photographed to form an image on it. The photosensitive copper plate needs to be heated to harden the gelatin. To prevent softening from heat, the copper often contains a small amount of silver or arsenic to raise the softening temperature. Then, the plate is etched to form a printing surface patterned with raised and recessed dots.

On an automatic typesetter, one creates a layout by arranging brass type blocks. This is another important use of copper in printing. The type blocks are usually made of leaded brass, and sometimes copper or bronze is used.

Brewing

Copper plays an important role in beer brewing worldwide. It is often used as the inner lining for mash tuns and fermentation tanks. Some famous breweries have more than ten of these large barrels, each with a capacity exceeding 20,000 gallons. In fermentation tanks, steel pipes are commonly used for water cooling to lower the temperature. Steel pipes are also used for heating with steam during beer brewing, as well as for transporting the beer.

When distilling whisky and other spirits, steel distillation pots are usually used. Whisky malt whisky needs to be distilled twice, using two large copper stills.

Pharmaceuticals

In the pharmaceutical industry, various steaming, boiling, and vacuum devices are made of pure copper. Zinc nickel-white copper is widely used in medical devices. Copper alloys are also commonly used materials for eyeglass frames, among other things.

That's all the content I have introduced to you. Don't you think copper has many uses? The uses of copper are not only reflected in light industry; it also appears in many other areas. That's it for today's introduction. If you want to learn more, please follow our website, and we will continue to update you!