Copper and Its Alloys

Copper is a noble metal that has an inherent resistance to corrosion in a variety of environments. Despite its excellent corrosion resistance to a broad range of environments, copper corrodes rapidly in certain environments, unlike some other noble metals. Even so, it’s good corrosion resistance generally applies to atmospheric environments, industrial environments, freshwater environments, and seawater environments, as well as a number of acidic and alkaline conditions. Pure copper is especially resistant to the aforementioned environments.

Copper is a low-cost alternative to stainless steels and nickel-base alloys when selecting a material for a corrosion resistant application. Copper alloys provide good strength at lower temperatures with a good resistance to corrosion in a broad range of environments. Among other applications, copper is useful for architectural applications (e.g. roofing), freshwater handling systems and plumbing, seawater handling systems, chemical process equipment and heat exchangers, and electrical systems.