Humans have been working with copper down through the centuries dating back to ancient times. The English word “Copper” derives its name from the Latin word “Cuprum” meaning “from Cyprus” and it was on that island that the first known mining of copper ore began. From there, it was traded across the Mediterranean to Egypt, where it was used in a variety of contexts, including possibly the earliest use of it as piping, in the Pyramids.
Modern refinement.
Since those early days, modern mining and processing techniques have turned copper from a rare, prized metal into an everyday, affordable, safe, and reliable material. It is especially prevalent in the plumbing trade and most modern homes will have at least some copper pipe in them. So how is it made? After the initial mining process, which now takes place on a global scale, the copper ore is then smelted at a high temperature in a furnace in order to extract the pure copper from the ore.
The copper is then further purified to refine it, removing any remaining impurities and giving the final product the longevity and ease of use for which it is renowned. The next stage involves rolling the copper flat into sheets to give it a specified thickness, depending on the product in which it will be finally used. The sheet copper is then drawn through a series of dies until the desired diameter of the pipe is reached.
The next stage is called the annealing process, which involves heating the tubes to a high temperature and letting them cool in a controlled, slow manner. Annealing makes the tubes more stable and flexible and less liable to split as the fitters cut and install them. After the annealing process, the pipes will be cut to length, cleaned to remove any final residue, checked by quality control, and prepared for testing.
The final stage is the testing and certification of the pipes to ensure they meet the quality standards required by law. They will be tested under pressure to make sure pipe bursts are as infrequent as possible as well as chemical analysis to ensure safety up to the relevant British Standards After this, it is dispatched to specialists such as https://watkinspowis.co.uk/products/copper-pipe-fittings-and-press-systems/.
Quality ensured.
Humble copper piping has been used through the centuries and refined to ensure the safe delivery of water, a primary need throughout the world.